Too expensive to treat? : finitude, tragedy, and the neonatal ICU / Charles C. Camosy.

Grand Rapids, Michigan : William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.

x, 221 pages ; 23 cm

Introduction. -- The Context of Neonatal Intensive Care -- The Argument -- Complications and Objections -- 1. The Moral Status of Newborn Infants. -- Some Historical Highlights -- Imperiled Newborns in Ancient Greece and Rome -- Contemporary Attitudes and Practices -- The Social Quality of Life Model and the Moral Status of Newborns -- A Third Option? -- Don Marquis -- Objections to the Argument from Potential -- Response to the "No Interest" Objections -- The "Problems with Potential" Objection -- The Moral Status of Imperiled Newborns -- H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. -- Earl Shelp -- Joseph Fletcher -- Critical Evaluation -- One Final Challenge: the Argument of John Lizza -- Conclusion --2. Arguments against the Social Quality of Life Model. -- Ruling Out Social Factors on Theoretical and Practical Levels: Paul Ramsey -- Ramsey: Critique -- The Roman Catholic Tradition on Ordinary and Extraordinary Means -- Ruling Out Social Factors on a Practical Level: Richard McCormack -- Ruling Out Social Factors on a Practical Level: John Paris -- Ruling Out Social Factors on a Practical Level: Magisterial Teaching -- McCormack, Paris, and Magisterial Teaching: Critical Evaluation -- Wrongful Discrimination? -- The Social Quality of Life Model and "The Moral Foundations of Medicine" -- Can Imperiled Newborns Have Duties? -- A Postscript on Relational Anthropology: a Necessary Ingredient in the Social Quality Model? -- 3. The "Weak" Social Quality of Life Model. -- Raymond Duff and A. G. M. Campbell -- Anthony Shaw -- Paul Johnson -- Catholic Social Teaching on the Fundamental Sociality of the Human Person -- Problems with Prioritizing the Common Good and the Universal Destination of Goods -- Richard Sparks: A Rejoinder -- Sparks: Critique -- Medicaid and Triage -- Medicaid and Triage: Some Understandable Concerns -- A Response to the Concerns --4. A Constructive Proposal for Reforming the Treatment and Care of Imperiled Newborns. -- Basic Facts about Treatment of Imperiled Newborns in the NICU -- Outcomes and Predictions -- The "Culture" of the NICU -- Economic Considerations -- NICU Attitudes and Practices: A Critique -- Catholic Social Teaching and the "Culture of Overtreatment" in the NICU -- Catholic Social Teaching on Solutions to the Problem -- An "Asked and Answered" Rejoinder? -- Medicaid -- Medicaid and Triage -- Final Thoughts on the Medicaid-Triage Analogy -- General Reforms -- The Oregon Model -- The Quality-Adjusted Life-Year -- Why Pick on the NICU? -- Discrimination against the Disabled: Redux -- Proportionate Use of the Medicaid Resources in the NICU: A Suggestive Proposal -- A Preferential Option for the Poor? -- Conclusion.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-218) and index.