What is the Origin of Informed Consent Deferral?

The practice is rooted in pediatric ethics and the legal principle of mature minor doctrine, balancing the parents' right to make decisions for their child with the child's emerging right to self-determination. Deferral is employed when the medical action is not immediately life-saving but carries significant personal implications.

What is the Mechanism of Informed Consent Deferral?

The deferral mechanism protects the future autonomy of the child by ensuring that complex, non-urgent information, such as the finding of a genetic susceptibility to a later-life endocrine disorder, is not irrevocably disclosed before they are psychologically prepared to process it. The clinician acts as a steward of the information, prioritizing the child's long-term well-being and their right to decide when and how to learn about their genetic risks.

Informed Consent Deferral ∞ Area

Informed Consent Deferral

Meaning

This is a specific ethical and clinical protocol where the decision to obtain informed consent for a medical procedure or genetic test, particularly one with long-term or complex implications, is intentionally postponed until the patient reaches an age or developmental stage deemed capable of fully comprehending the information and making an autonomous decision. This is a critical consideration in pediatric and adolescent endocrinology, especially regarding genetic testing for adult-onset conditions.