SYMPOSIUM ON COVERT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE - COVERT VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AND THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT - A RESPONSE TO CRITICISM

In some young children brought by their parents for diagnosis of acute life-threatening events investigations suggested imposed apnoea as th e cause rather than spontaneous occurrence. Covert video surveillance of the cot in which the baby was monitored allowed confirmation or reb uttal of this diagnosis. That parents were not informed of the video r ecording was essential for diagnosis and we assert ethically justifiab le as the child was the patient to whom a predominant duty of care was owed. The procedure also avoids the risk of separation of child from parent on inadequate information.