Dilemmas of “Informed Consent” in Children

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Abstract
If parents have the "right" to give "informed consent" regarding surgery on their minor children, does this mean that they also have the "right" to deny consent when such denial means death for their child? Some ethical, moral and legal questions about the rights and obligations of physicians, hospital staffs, parents and society arise when parents decide to with-hold consent for treatment of critically ill minor children. Specific examples are severely retarded or severely deformed infants whose parents refuse surgical correction of a lethal gastrointestinal or genitourinary anomaly, and children in need of lifesaving surgery whose parents refuse treatment for religious or social reasons, or merely out of fear or ignorance. My response in these situations has been individualized and has ranged from supporting parental decisions to seeking court intervention under child-neglect laws. (N Engl J Med 289:885–890, 1973)

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