Question

How does Baby Doe rules affect the case of an infant being admitted to NICU after mother suffered amniotic embolism resulting in her being admitted to ICU herself. The embolism affected the newborn causing anoxia with Apgars of 0. Baby was resuscitated but remains unresponsive with major organ damage. He was placed on ventilator with parenteral nutrition initiated. He has been weaned from the ventilator and is unresponsive in all areas. Parents wish to discontinue infant’s nutrition amd hydration. How does Baby Doe rules affect this situation?

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Answer 1

The Baby Doe Law or Baby Doe Amendment is an amendment to the Child Abuse Law passed in 1984 in the United States that sets forth specific criteria and guidelines for the treatment of seriously ill and/or disabled newborns, regardless of the wishes of the parents

It is considered in the policy that withholding of medical care from an infant with one or more congenital anomalies as medical neglect.

Three exceptions of this policy are :-

- When the infant is chronically and irreversibly comatose

- When treatment would merely prolong death

- When the treatment would be futile either because the child not survive or the treatment would be inhumane.

In this case the child is unresponsive to all the treatment methods even the resuscitation. The infant is chronically ill and irreversibly comatose due to multiple organ damage . It is a case of one of the exceptions of Baby doe rule . The healthcare workers should agree with the parents and should discontinue the infants nutrition and hydration to avoid pain and prolongation of death by using various treatment options which does not result in any positive outcome or response .