Moral Status and Care of Impaired Newborns

This chapter addresses the question of moral status and care of impaired African American newborns from the perspective of African American Protestant Christian theology and spirituality. It argues that healthcare professionals must take seriously the impact of race and racism on the disparate health outcomes of African American newborns and maternal reproductive health. Moreover, it suggests how resources from the black Christian tradition inform the understanding of a high moral status of severely impaired newborns with a limited life expectancy in a way that does not require a vitalist approach in end-of-life decision making for these precious little ones.