Summary of report

Children and clinical research: ethical issues
Published Thursday 14 May 2015
Well-conducted clinical research with children and young
people is essential if we are to improve our understanding of childhood disease, and provide healthcare based on the best possible evidence. However, professionals and parents often feel uneasy about asking children to take part in research because of potential risks or burdens.

This Nuffield Council on Bioethics UK ,report looks at the ethics of involving children in research, and at the roles and responsibilities of children, parents/guardians and researchers.

Central to the report is the idea that from a young age, children have a role in determining their own lives and should be seen as active participants in research. The assumption that all children are necessarily vulnerable may prevent worthwhile research from going ahead.

The risk of children being placed in vulnerable situations can be minimised by ensuring that researchers engage with children’s and parents’ views and experiences in the prioritisation, design and review of research and that research is subject to appropriate scrutiny and governance.

Children and parents should be confident that an invitation to take part in research is a ‘fair offer’ where the value of the research and its risks and benefits, have been independently assessed.

Seek further aspects of this report if needed.

G Mohan.