Baby Joseph Futile Care Case Has Emotional Non-Futile Care Wrinkle

Baby Joseph Futile Care Case Has Emotional Non Futile Care Wrinkle » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: The request for a tracheotomy raises different ethical issues than requesting that life support be maintained in hospital. In my view, refusing the tracheotomy surgery is not a futile care imposition, since the surgery is not primarily intended to maintain the baby’s life, but rather is an elective procedure, to allow the parents to bring him home to die. That is a completely understandable, nay, laudable, desire on their part, but it presents a different wrinkle to the situation than the usual futile care dispute. And let me emphasize: It wouldn’t be an issue if the hospital weren’t trying to force the baby off life support.