Host: Maurice Pickard, MD

Guest: John Lantos, MD

In this segment, Dr. Lantos examines some of the ethical issues arising within the modern NICU, particularly in relation to Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) babies. The interview looks at the difficulties in predicting survival outcomes and appropriate interventional strategies for these very premature infants on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Lantos then concludes with an effective model for evaluating the risks vs benefits of maximum interventions, with an emphasis on moving away from our current criteria in deciding "futility of care."