Care of very low birthweight infants with limited neonatal intensive care resources

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Abstract
The advanced technology that is available to treat the tiniest infants has raised the legal and moral dilemma of where and how to distribute limited intensive care resources. In one neonatal intensive care unit it was determined that approximately 80% of its resources over a two‐year period were utilized by very low birthweight infants, in spite of the fact that these infants comprised less than 50% of the total admissions to the unit. It was not possible to offer all very low birthweight infants full intensive care; to make this possible, it was calculated that resources would have to increase by 26%. In the present economic climate, and with limited numbers of nurses who are skilled in neonatal intensive care, the prospects for extra resources are poor. What action can or should be taken, legally and morally, when no facilities exist to treat a live‐born infant who may possibly benefit from intensive care?