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Organ donation from children: time for legal, ethical and cultural change
Author(s) -
Brierley Joe,
Larcher Vic
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02380.x
Subject(s) - organ donation , donation , medicine , ethical issues , transplantation , engineering ethics , law , surgery , political science , engineering
Successful transplantation has lead to increasing need for donated organs from children; however, contemporaneously decreased brain‐death rates means optimization of donation processes is crucial. Although excellent palliative care and organ donation are compatible, discrepancies exist both between and within European countries in abilities to offer families donation opportunities. Change will require address of legal, ethical and cultural barriers, and this review aims to explore such changes pertinent to both dead and living organ donation. Conclusion: We argue that across Europe it is surely time for legal, ethical and cultural change to facilitate parents, families and of course children in having the choice of donation.