Ethical considerations in research with children.

Abstract

The author discusses the nature of research in a therapeutic context, the documentation required by a review committee, the problem of proxy consent for children and other 'incompetent' individuals, the balance of risk-to-benefit, and the protection owed by society to its most vulnerable members. Opposing views are presented regarding the ethics of involving children in research. The difficulty of assessing risks and benefits is acknowledged while upholding the right of parents and guardians to receive full disclosure of information upon which to base consent. There is a role for serious ethical inquiry in the search for agreement on what is right. Life implies relationships and mutual obligations. Research involving children raises ethical questions for the physician-researcher, the parents, other hospital personnel and society at large.