Child Patient’s Human Rights and Capacity to Make Health Decisions

The children’s capacity to make health decisions as well as the realization of their human rights in this area is a subject that is still little addressed by Bioethics and Human Rights scholars in Brazil. The lack of research on this topic foments to the maintenance of paternalistic situations that limit children’s autonomy, even when they express the wish to participate in their care. This current position of children in the clinical setting requires the use of human rights language to ensure their effective inclusion concerning the discussion about their health care, in a way that their interests and perspectives are not neglected.