Madeleine (Maddy) Kane, Rachel Bervell, MD, MS, Angela Y. Zhang, MD, and Jennifer Tsai, MD, MEd
Algorithms use race as an epidemiological shorthand, but clinically influential historical, social, and cultural determinants of health are still sources of variability.
AMA J Ethics. 2022;24(8):E720-728. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2022.720.
When the patient delivers a low-birth-weight infant that requires extensive time in the neonatal intensive, should she be held responsible? Where do we draw the line? More importantly, on what basis do we draw the line?
After the infant’s birth, the neonatologist’s first duty is to his or her patient—the newly born infant. If clinical circumstances are different than anticipated, the physician must first consider the best interests of the baby.