Neonatal organ donation – ethical and forensic considerations of the boundary between drama and hope

V. Varlas, R.G. Borș, V. Dima, A. Velișcu, C. Mehedințu, M. Cîrstoiu, S. Vlădăreanu

Rezumat: Background. Organ donation from newborns for transplantation is a relatively rare event, which requires proper knowledge of legal, ethical and medical issues. It implies the existence of a group of obstetricians, neonatologists, specialists in organ procurement, specialists in bioethics and lawyers. Aim. The purpose of this study was to highlight the need for adequate legislation to achieve organ donation in newborns and to give a chance to the lives of those children who require a transplant. Materials and method. We performed a comprehensive search on the following terms: (1) “neonatal organ donation”, (2) “ethics”, (3) “neonatal organs donors”, for ten years, on two major databases, PubMed®/MEDLINE® and Web of Science, and we found 410 articles of which 27 were eligible for the study. Conclusions. The application of some recommendations will increase the number of donors and contribute as a model for realizing future practice guides, along with the need to create an infrastructure to manage these situations.
Cuvinte cheie: neonatal organ donation, neonatal organ donors, ethics, neonatology.