Obtaining informed consent for delivery room research: the investigators' perspective

Research on delivery room (DR) resuscitation poses unique challenges. Because prospective informed consent is obtained before birth, many parents consent for studies for which their infants never become eligible.1 Conversely, many infants who require resuscitation are not enrolled, due to insufficient opportunity for parents to provide antenatal consent.2 One alternative is a waiver of prospective informed consent (or ‘retrospective’ or ‘deferred’ consent), in which eligible infants are enrolled after birth, and parents are approached for consent as soon as possible after enrolment. We sought to understand the views of international neonatal resuscitation scientists regarding these practices. We surveyed participants at the Fourth International Neonatal Resuscitation Research Workshop (28–30 April 2015). Attendees included investigators, members of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation and national resuscitation council representatives. Responses were voluntary, and respondents were informed that aggregate responses would be published. Questionnaire domains included: (A) demographic information,...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Tags: PostScript Source Type: research