In the case of a minor child, it should be assumed that they do not have the necessary discernment to make decisions about healthcare. Therefore, therapeutic actions aimed at saving their life or preventing long-term consequences, such as administering blood or its derivatives, can be justified—even if consent from the parents has not been obtained.
In these situations, the opinions of ethics committees in the healthcare area state that, regardless of the requirement to obtain the authorization of the child’s legal representatives for therapeutic actions, the duty of healthcare providers to act should prevail. They must administer blood or its derivatives to safeguard the minor’s life.
In situations that are not of extreme urgency or life-threatening, the same opinions recommend that in the case of minors, the courts should be consulted to decree the necessary measures, such as granting the authorization refused by the parents.
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