ETHICS IN PEDIATRICS

ADESEYE AKINSETE
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS
Outline
• Introduction

• Historical perspectives

• Development of ethics

• Principles

• Conclusion
THE ANCESTORS
 Introduction

• Ethics is the moral

code of right from
wrong
• It evolved over time
• Earliest was in
400BC by
Hippocrates
 Introduction

• Many medieval
authors contributed
to the code
• Thomas Percival
wrote the first code
in the modern era
• Names of some
early workers?
Development of ethics
• Hippocratic oath, what is this?
• Conduct of a physician , Islamic ethical adaption!
• Canon of medicine, Avi Cenna
• Summa theological, Thomas Aquinas
• Code of medical ethics, Thomas Percival
• Nuremberg code, what is this?
• Declaration of Helsinki???
• Where is ethics now?
 Autonomy

• Informed decision
• No coercion
• Full understanding
of risks, benefits
and successes' as
well as failure
• Is this possible?
 Justice

• Equitable
distribution of
resources
• Fairness in
decisions that
benefit and burden
• Obeys all laws
 Beneficence

• All care must be for

the BEST of the
patient
• Practitioners must
maintain the highest
skill and knowledge
• Individualized care
Non-maleficence

•DO NO
HARM
 Conclusion

• Ethics is a spiral
staircase
• It continues till we
stop practicing
• We must always
update ourselves
• Confidentiality is
key