Additional Protections for Children Who Participate in Clinical Research
Clinical Trial News Wednesday, August 29th, 2012Parents and guardians of seriously ill children often face difficult decisions about their child’s medical care. As a physician practicing for about 20 years in a pediatric intensive care unit, I knew that many of the interventions I used, while potentially life-saving, had no guarantee of success and carried a risk of significant harm or even death.
When faced with a life-threatening disease for which there are few good options, parents sometimes want to try a promising drug that is still under development. I have lived through this situation with parents many times, both in the intensive care unit and as a medical ethicist. Some parents see the drug as a lifeline where none had existed before. It is a natural instinct for parents to want to leave no stone unturned. Read more
