Ethics and hypothermia treatment

Summary 

Hypothermia is the first effective neuroprotective intervention for newborns who are critically ill following a life-threatening asphyxial insult. It is not surprising that it has raised complex and controversial ethical dilemmas for investigators and clinicians. Given the history of iatrogenic disasters in neonatology, there has been an understandable reluctance to incorporate hypothermia into routine clinical practice until there is persuasive evidence from high quality randomised trials. This article reviews ethical issues that arose during the design of the original clinical trials, the implications of accumulating evidence of safety and efficacy, and the problems of ensuring informed parental participation in treatment decisions.

Keywords: Clinical decision-making, Informed consent, Neonatal encephalopathy, Therapeutic hypothermia, Withdrawal of treatment