Family-Centered Care

I read "The Principles for Family-Centered Neonatal Care" with great interest. As a physician who has worked in a state government-operated neonatal intensive care unit follow-up clinic, I agree wholeheartedly with the principle of open and honest communication between parents and professionals, especially regarding poor developmental outcomes. Unfortunately, physicians, despite their own feelings about this issue, may come under pressure from third parties to withhold certain information from families. In my own experiences, I have been drawn aside in private conversations and told that if I continue to tell parents that their child is mentally retarded or has cerebral palsy, it might have an adverse impact on my career.