Children's ages of consent to non-urgent heart surgery: The views of two paediatric cardiology teams

Abstract

Paediatric cardiology practitioners and related experts report unusually young ages when they begin to inform children about their non-urgent heart surgery and begin to respect children's consent or refusal. Research methods included observations in two paediatric cardiology units, audio-recorded interviews with 45 experts, and qualitative data analysis. Significantly younger ages were cited than are usually recommended in the clinical and legal literature. Interviewed practitioners took seriously children's consent to or refusal of a heart transplant from around 6 years, and a child's firm refusal of induction of anaesthesia from around 4 years, when surgery might be postponed.