The July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine contains an article entitled, How Infants Die in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The authors’ abstract describe the results of a ten year study this way:
For 10 years, 414 neonatal patients died. Of these, 61.6% had care withdrawn, 20.8% had care withheld, and 17.6% received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The percentage of deaths that followed withholding of treatment rose by 1% per year (P = .01). Most of this change was accounted for by withholding of therapy in the very premature group. During the 10-year period, the primary mode of death in this regional referral neonatal intensive care unit was withdrawal of life-sustaining support. When death is imminent or medical care is considered futile, the approach is thought to provide a peaceful, controlled setting. Significant increase in withholding of care suggests improved recognition of medical futility and desire to provide a peaceful death.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(7):630-634. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.102