<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) compared prenatal with postnatal surgery for myelomeningocele (MMC). The present study sought to determine how MOMS influenced the clinical recommendations of pediatric neurosurgeons, how surgeons' risk tolerance affected their views, how their views compare to those of their colleagues in other specialties, and how their management of hydrocephalus compares to the guidelines used in the MOMS trial.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was sent to all 154 pediatric neurosurgeons in the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons. The effect of surgeons' risk tolerance on opinions and counseling of prenatal closure was determined by using ordered logistic regression.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Compared to postnatal closure, 71% of responding pediatric neurosurgeons viewed prenatal closure as either "very favorable" or "somewhat favorable," and 51% reported being more likely to recommend prenatal surgery in light of MOMS. Compared to pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, pediatric neurosurgeons viewed prenatal MMC repair less favorably (p &lt; 0.001). Responders who believed the surgical risks were high were less likely to view prenatal surgery favorably and were also less likely to recommend prenatal surgery (p &lt; 0.001). The management of hydrocephalus was variable, with 60% of responders using endoscopic third ventriculostomy in addition to ventriculoperitoneal shunts.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The majority of pediatric neurosurgeons have a favorable view of prenatal surgery for MMC following MOMS, although less so than in other specialties. The reported acceptability of surgical risks was strongly predictive of prenatal counseling. Variation in the management of hydrocephalus may impact outcomes following prenatal closure.</p>

<p>A 20-week-old fetus was diagnosed with critical pulmonary valve stenosis. Given the ultrasound findings, the outcome was difficult to predict. The fetal cardiologists discussed the possibility of a pulmonary valvuloplasty (an experimental procedure) with the parents, wherein the fetal right ventricle would be punctured with a long 18G needle, and through it, a wire advanced across the pulmonary valve, allowing for balloon dilation of the valve. The experimental procedure had been performed at a handful of centers. There were some reports of success. The parents sought an opinion at one of the referral centers that had tried the procedure. The doctors there recommended against it. The doctors at the original center were unsure whether they should try the procedure. The parents wanted it. In this ethics rounds, doctors and the parents discuss the arguments for and against a high-risk, innovative in utero procedure.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>The ethics of maternal-fetal surgery involves weighing the importance of potential benefits, risks, and other consequences involving the pregnant woman, fetus, and other family members. We assessed clinicians' ratings of the importance of 9 considerations relevant to maternal-fetal surgery.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>This study was a discrete choice experiment contained within a 2015 national mail-based survey of 1200 neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, and maternal-fetal medicine physicians, with latent class analysis subsequently used to identify groups of physicians with similar ratings.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of 1176 eligible participants, 660 (56%) completed the discrete choice experiment. The highest-ranked consideration was of neonatal benefits, which was followed by consideration of the risk of maternal complications. By using latent class analysis, we identified 4 attitudinal groups with similar patterns of prioritization: "fetocentric" (n = 232), risk-sensitive (n = 197), maternal autonomy (n = 167), and family impact and social support (n = 64). Neonatologists were more likely to be in the fetocentric group, whereas surgeons were more likely to be in the risk-sensitive group, and maternal-fetal medicine physicians made up the largest percentage of the family impact and social support group.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Physicians vary in how they weigh the importance of social and ethical considerations regarding maternal-fetal surgery. Understanding these differences may help prevent or mitigate disagreements or tensions that may arise in the management of these patients.</p>

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>While prenatal surgery historically was performed exclusively for lethal conditions, today intrauterine surgery is also performed to decrease postnatal disabilities for non-lethal conditions. We sought to describe physicians' attitudes about prenatal surgery for lethal and non-lethal conditions and to elucidate characteristics associated with these attitudes.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Survey of 1200 paediatric surgeons, neonatologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists (MFMs).</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of 1176 eligible physicians, 670 (57%) responded (range by specialty, 54%-60%). In the setting of a lethal condition for which prenatal surgery would likely result in the child surviving with a severe disability, most respondents either disagreed (59%) or strongly disagreed (19%) that they would recommend the surgery. Male physicians were twice as likely to recommend surgery for the lethal condition, as were physicians who believe that abortion is morally wrong (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.0 to 3.05). Older physicians were less likely to recommend surgery (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.88). For non-lethal conditions, most respondents agreed (66% somewhat, 4% strongly) that they would recommend prenatal surgery, even if the surgery increases the risk of prematurity or fetal death. Compared with MFMs, surgeons were less likely to recommend such surgery, as were physicians not affiliated with a fetal centre, and physicians who were religious (ORs range from 0.45 to 0.64).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Physician's attitudes about prenatal surgery relate to physicians' beliefs about disability as well as demographic, cultural and religious characteristics. Given the variety of views, parents are likely to receive different recommendations from their doctors about the preferable treatment choice.</p>

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION: </strong>The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) compared prenatal with postnatal surgery for fetal myelomeningocele (MMC). We sought to understand how subspecialists interpreted the trial results and whether their practice has changed.</p>

<p><strong>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </strong>Cross-sectional, mailed survey of 1,200 randomly selected maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physicians, neonatologists, and pediatric surgeons.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of 1,176 eligible physicians, 670 (57%) responded. Compared to postnatal closure, 33% viewed prenatal closure as "very favorable" and 60% as "somewhat favorable." Most physicians reported being more likely to recommend prenatal surgery (69%), while 28% were less likely to recommend pregnancy termination. In multivariable analysis, neonatologists were more likely to report prenatal closure as "very favorable" (OR 1.6; 95% CI: 1.03-2.5). Pediatric surgeons and neonatologists were more likely to recommend prenatal closure (OR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3-3.3, and OR 2.9; 95% CI: 1.8-4.6) and less likely to recommend termination (OR 3.8; 95% CI: 2.2-6.7, and OR 4.7; 95% CI: 2.7-8.1). In addition, physicians with a higher tolerance for prematurity were more likely to report prenatal closure as "very favorable" (OR 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00-1.05).</p>

<p><strong>DISCUSSION: </strong>In light of the MOMS trial, the vast majority of pediatric subspecialists and MFMs view prenatal MMC closure favorably. These attitudes vary by specialty and risk tolerance.</p>

<p>Social media, no stranger to health care environments, is increasingly used by patients, families, clinicians, and institutions to interact and engage in new ways. The ethical challenges related to the use of social media in the clinical setting are familiar, yet come with a novel twist, including the possibility of having a conflict "go viral". Health care clinicians and institutions must understand and embrace these technologies, while at the same time promoting policies and practices that ensure the ethically appropriate use of social media and address strategies for preventing and responding to a social media crisis.</p>

<p>Advances in prenatal diagnosis create a unique set of clinical ethics dilemmas. Doctors routinely obtain genetic screening, radiologic images, and biophysical profiling. These allow more accurate diagnosis and prognosis than has ever before been possible. However, they also reveal a wider range of disease manifestations than were apparent when prenatal diagnosis was less sophisticated. Sometimes, the best estimates of prognosis turn out to be wrong. The infant's symptoms may be less severe or more severe than anticipated based on prenatal assessment. We present a case in which a prenatal diagnosis was made of severe osteogenesis imperfecta, leading to a decision to induce delivery at 31 weeks. On postnatal evaluation, the infant's disease did not appear to be as bad as had been anticipated. We discuss the ethical implications of such diagnostic and prognostic errors.</p>

<p>Many primary care pediatricians find vaccine hesitancy to be one of the most frustrating situations that they face. Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children implicitly call into question an intervention that most pediatricians see as one of the safest and most effective health care interventions of all time. Many pediatricians respond by refusing to care for children whose parents refuse vaccines, and some may consider that the parent's refusal warrants referral to child protective services. We present a case in which a pediatrician faces this dilemma, with responses from pediatricians in academia and private practice.</p>