In search of consistency: Scandinavian approaches to resuscitation of extremely preterm infants

Abstract

Guidelines around the resuscitation of extremely preterm infants have been developed, in part, to ensure consistency in decision-making between hospitals and health professionals. However, such guidelines can also be used to highlight other forms of inconsistency: between countries and between practices in different areas of medicine. In this article, we highlight the ethical advantages (and disadvantages) of consistency. We argue that an internationally uniform approach to ethically complex decisions is neither likely nor desirable.