Medical law as applied to neonatal surgery

Abstract

Medical law as applied to neonatal surgery, when considered in terms of the number of requests for legal or ethical opinions, is mainly concerned with the withdrawal or withholding of treatment. However, this must be placed into the context of the chronological opportunities for law to intervene in clinical care. For that reason alone, this chapter commences with the unborn child, passing through the stage of birth, initial decisions on viability (and acquiring a legal parent); before progressing to the 'baby cases', and subsequent guidance when considering the withdrawal of care in neonatal surgery.