No child is an island: ethical considerations in end-of-life care for children and their families

Purpose of review Ethical challenges are commonly encountered when caring for children with life-threatening conditions. Recent findings Controversial end-of-life issues, such as physician-assisted death and medical futility, may also arise in children. The approach to these issues in children may be guided by the 'adult' medical literature; the age of the patient should not be a relevant factor in determining the morality of these acts. As such, the focus of this review is on ethical issues unique to children and adolescents by nature of their dependence on their parents. Appreciation that child well-being is best promoted when care aligns with parental beliefs, values and culture has given rise to the practice of family-centred care, which we prefer to call 'family-partnered' care. Occasionally, a family-partnered approach may challenge fundamental paediatric ethical principles, including best interests, developing autonomy, and the importance of honesty and truth-telling. Summary This article explores the challenges that may arise when there is disagreement between the child, the parents, and the healthcare providers about care at the end-of-life and provides suggestions to clinicians about how to help resolve these conflicts.