Page 11 - 104-105山醫學倫理暨人文醫學圖書心得精選集

When I arrived, the mother was already on the delivery table,
breathing heavily, and a tiny patch of the baby’s hair could be
seen peeking out from the vaginal opening. Soon, the baby was
delivered, and I quickly assessed for a heartbeat, which luckily
was strong. But I noticed that the baby was not breathing well.
Trying to remain calm, I administered stimulation, oxygen and
ambu-bagging, just like I had practiced so many times before.
Slowly, the baby began to respond, a few faint gasps at first,
and finally one loud lusty cry which filled the delivery room
and brought joy to everyone’s heart. Relieved, I put away the
laryngoscope, feeling glad that I would not have to intubate on
my first day in the delivery room.

Unfortunately, not all deliveries go as smoothly.
According to the Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan, nearly
20 thousand babies are born prematurely in Taiwan each year.
Prior to the availability of the National Health Insurance, many
of these babies would not survive. Breakthroughs in neonatal
intensive care in the past 30 years have significantly increased
survival rates for premature babies.

It has also created a new set of ethical dilemmas.
Although survival rates have improved, the advanced medical
abilities to treat increasingly smaller and more premature
babies have also increased the risk of complications. Some
babies may leave the hospital with long-lasting neurological

104-105 年度〃醫學倫理〃人文醫學〃心得 3