Peer-reviewed article

Neonatal Early-Onset Infection With SARS-CoV-2 in 33 Neonates Born to Mothers With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China

Lingkong Zeng, Shiwen Xia, Wenhao Yuan, Kai Yan, Feifan Xiao et al. · 26 Mar 2020

Abstract

similar with respect to the preference rates for life-sustaining treatments compared with palliative care (46.9% vs 34.4% in the 60% survival group and 50.0%vs 40.6% in the 30% survival group; odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% CI, 0.31-2.63).A few patients were not able to formulate a preference (6 patients (18.8%) in the 60% survival group and 3 patients (9.4%) in the 30% survival group; OR, 0.423; 95% CI, 0.08-2.10).An analysis of the patients who formulated a preference showed that an attitude that mere survival is at least as important as quality of life was associated with a preference for life-sustaining treatments (OR, 10.28; 95% CI, 2.94-35.90).Increasing maternal age (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.98)and childlessness (OR, 0.12; 95% CI 0.01-0.98)were associated with a preference for palliative care.Most patients would decide together with their partners (63 of 64 [98.4%]) and preferred to be empowered by their physicians in the decision-making process (48 of 64 [75%]).Discussion | In this study, it appeared that treatment preferences originated from individual characteristics and values rather than from reasoning about numerical outcome estimates.However, generalizability is limited and the results should be interpreted in light of the methods used.Patients made a one-time decision without personal feedback and patients actually affected might indicate different preferences.More studies are needed to help to improve our understanding of the information that parents facing extremely preterm birth want and need.