Memories of a Kennedy reignite neonatal care debate
On August 9, 1963, the son of John F. Kennedy passed away.
On August 9, 1963, the son of John F. Kennedy passed away. Patrick Kennedy was born prematurely, with a common and often fatal condition, Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Neonatal care in the 1960s was primitive and doctors were unable to provide adequate treatment for Patrick. After a desperate attempt by doctors to raise his oxygen levels in a hyperbaric chamber Patrick passed away – just 36 hours after birth.
The 50th anniversary has provided opportunity for reflection on the ethics of neonatal care. Writing for the New York Times, paediatric specialist April Dworetz discussed the morality of providing extraordinary care for premature babies with serious illnesses: “I’ve been thinking about that question for decades and haven’t found a simple answer… Some families soar in caring for their disabled kids; others disintegrate.”
With advances in neonatal technology, the survival rate of premature babies has increased dramatically: If Patrick Kennedy were born today, he would have a 95% chance of surviving.
Xavier Symons
Creative commons
neonatal care
premature babies
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- Queensland legalises ‘assisted dying’ - September 19, 2021
- Is abortion a global public health emergency? - April 11, 2021
- Dutch doctors cleared to euthanise dementia patients who have advance directives - November 22, 2020
More Stories
A Japanese professor at Yale floats the idea of mass suicide for the elderly
With a fertility rate of about 1.3 children per woman and a third of the population over 65, it seems...
Being declared dead when you’re still alive – why these very rare events occur
Stephen Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University An 82-year-old woman who was recently pronounced dead at a New...
Judicial ping-pong leaves Portugal without a right-to-die law
For the second time Portugal’s Constitutional Court has rejected a right-to-die law because its wording is “intolerably vague”. The bill...
Baby steps for ‘death tourism’ in Oregon
A “death tourism” industry is taking off in Oregon, claims the Daily Mail. It says that Dr Nicholas Gideonse, the...
A divorce for the end-of-life dream team
Compassion & Choices and the Alzheimer’s Association have parted ways after a partnership which lasted only a few weeks. On...
A lonely euthanasia death on Vancouver Island
In assisted dying, it would be unethical to carry out clinical trials. How could you design an experiment in which...