At the beginning of the 20th century, infant mortality in Europe was extremely high, primarily due to malnutrition and untreatable diseases. Additionally, children’s pain and suffering were often ignored due to a lack of resources and cultural beliefs that underestimated their perception of these symptoms. From the second half of the last century onwards, thanks to advances in biomedical and biotechnological fields and general improvements in living conditions, this “massacre of innocents” has been significantly reduced. This has led to a prolongation of life in cases of chronic or terminal illnesses, along with the potential for prolonged suffering for the patient and their loved ones. The recognition of pain and suffering in children and our moral duty to protect the most vulnerable, combined with an evolution in medical ethics that values the concepts of well-being and quality of life, has led to the development of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). However, access to these practices is not always guaranteed, necessitating an ethical reflection on their importance to promote their dissemination and the communication and relational approaches. New philosophical transformations are hoped for, aiming to promote an open dialogue on sensitive topics such as illness and death in the pediatric field.
Pediatric Palliative Care: Historical Origins and a Glimpse into Ethical Issues
patuzzo manzati sara
;giacopuzzi simone;di cosmo mariantonietta;piccinni leopardi giulia;de manzoni giovanni
2024-01-01
Abstract
At the beginning of the 20th century, infant mortality in Europe was extremely high, primarily due to malnutrition and untreatable diseases. Additionally, children’s pain and suffering were often ignored due to a lack of resources and cultural beliefs that underestimated their perception of these symptoms. From the second half of the last century onwards, thanks to advances in biomedical and biotechnological fields and general improvements in living conditions, this “massacre of innocents” has been significantly reduced. This has led to a prolongation of life in cases of chronic or terminal illnesses, along with the potential for prolonged suffering for the patient and their loved ones. The recognition of pain and suffering in children and our moral duty to protect the most vulnerable, combined with an evolution in medical ethics that values the concepts of well-being and quality of life, has led to the development of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). However, access to these practices is not always guaranteed, necessitating an ethical reflection on their importance to promote their dissemination and the communication and relational approaches. New philosophical transformations are hoped for, aiming to promote an open dialogue on sensitive topics such as illness and death in the pediatric field.
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