Pediatric Health Rationing: Recent Trends and Lessons From History

• Recent health care rationing proposals are related to shifting economic and political priorities. Pediatric implications of these proposals include restrictive policies toward premature and congenitally malformed newborns. Historical experience of similar developments suggests that early warning signals of such measures should be heeded to avoid major public health consequences. In the best interests of society-at-large, health care rationing should be rejected. ( AJDC 1985;139:757-760)