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Enhancing Shared Decision Making in Neonatal Care: A Framework for Practice.



It is a legal and ethical requirement to gain valid consent before examining and initiating any investigation and treatment for any patient. Failure to seek consent is not an option. However in neonatal practice there are frequently occasions, particularly soon after birth, when there is no-one available to provide valid consent and the clinician has to initiate treatment in its absence. It should always be possible later to justify that action to the parents, and to reassure them that what was done was in the best interests of the baby.

This leaflet aims to provide guidance to those working with newborn babies clarifying when, from whom and how consent should be gained in different circumstances. It is not within its scope to consider, withholding and withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, nor the involvement of babies in national screening programmes or in research studies. 

Consent in Neonatal Clinical Care - Good Practice Framework
Consent for common neonatal investigations, interventions and treatments checklist
British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) is registered in England & Wales under charity number 1199712 at 5-11 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8SH.
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