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The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care

Journal of Perinatology volume 23, page 168 (2003)Cite this article

Authored by John D. Lantos. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. 183 pages in one volume, illustrated, $22.50

In the world of neonatology, sometimes the moment of birth is not an affirmation of life, but a purposeful defiance of death. Thus it is appropriate that Lazarus, the biblical figure who rose from the dead, is the namesake of a malpractice suit regarding the resuscitation of a newborn baby. In the fictional lawsuit, the neonatologist present at the delivery decides to stop the resuscitation when the infant appears to be beyond reasonable care. The infant unexpectedly survives to the age of three years, with severe neurologic impairment, and the parents allege that the deficits were incurred by the neonatologist's decision. The case serves as the backbone for several discourses on decision-making in the neonatal intensive care unit in this book by pediatrician and medical ethicist John D. Lantos.

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  1. Division of Neonatology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA

    Anusha H Hemachandra MD, MPH

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  1. Anusha H Hemachandra MD, MPH
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Section Editor: Jayant P. Shenai, MD

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Hemachandra, A. The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care. J Perinatol 23, 168 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210817

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