Parental religious affiliation and survival of premature infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between parents' ethnic/religious affiliation (secular Jewish, religious Jewish, ultra-orthodox Jewish, Muslim Arabs) and survival of premature infants with severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).Study Design: Survival of 102 infants (birth weightp1500 g) born at the Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem from 1 January 1996 through 31 December 2005, who sustained severe IVH and who survived over 48 h, was assessed in relation to their parents' ethnic/religious affiliation and accounting for relevant clinical and demographic variables.Result: There were 38 cases of demise among 72 infants with IVH grade IV (52.8%), and 4 among 30 infants with IVH grade III (13.3%). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis accounting for relevant perinatal variables, the odds for mortality compared to the reference Arab group was significantly lower only with regard to ultra-orthodox patients (odds ratio, OR ¼ 0.06; 95% confidential interval, CI ¼ 0.00 to 0.80; P ¼ 0.033). In a logistic and in the Cox stepwise regression analyses with religion as forced in variable, comparing infants with IVH grade IV of religious and ultraorthodox Jewish families with those of secular Jewish families, the OR/ hazard ratio (HR) for mortality were OR ¼ 0.10; 95% CI ¼ 0.01 to 0.06; P ¼ 0.017, and HR ¼ 0.37; 95% CI ¼ 0.16 to 0.85; P ¼ 0.019, respectively. No significant difference between the groups was demonstrated when infants with IVH grade III were analyzed apart.Conclusion: Parental religious affiliation may be influential on the outcome of premature infants with severe brain damage.

Neonatologist Training to Guide Family Decision Making for Critically Ill Infants

“…This is in stark contrast with what families say is important to their decision making. 9, 24 25 26–28 Some families have emphasized that they must be allowed to address their spiritual distress in order to fully participate in decision-making for their child. 25 Some physicians perceive that these issues are best addressed by social workers or chaplains,29 30 and certainly hospital and community chaplains are integral members of the interdisciplinary team.…”

Characterization of Spirituality in Parents of Very Preterm Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

“…If a family's religious background values the sanctity of life over quality of life, this can greatly influence their decisions regarding goals of care. 47,48 The impact that spirituality can have in these situations emphasizes the importance of further study and incorporating this skill into practice.…”

On Ethical (In)Decisions Experienced by Parents of Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care

“…A considerable amount of research has been devoted to understanding parental ethical decision making. Quantitative epidemiologic studies have identified factors that correlate with the desire for medical intervention: parental age, race, and religion; medical diagnosis and uncertainty about prognosis; and physician preference (Arad, Braunstein, & Netzer, 2008; da Costa, Ghazal, & Al Khusaiby, 2002; Doron, Veness-Meehan, Margolis, Holoman, & Stiles, 1998; Moseley et al, 2004). Although these factors are significant determinants at a population level, they do not necessarily determine what happens at the bedside, where competing factors frequently exist.…”