@article {Sloss258, author = {Samantha Sloss and Jennifer Anne Dawson and Lorraine McGrory and Anthony Richard Rafferty and Peter G Davis and Louise S Owen}, title = {Observational study of parental opinion of deferred consent for neonatal research}, volume = {106}, number = {3}, pages = {258--264}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1136/archdischild-2020-319974}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group}, abstract = {Objective To evaluate the opinions of parents of newborns following their infant{\textquoteright}s enrolment into a neonatal research study through the process of deferred consent.Design Mixed-methods, observational study, interviewing 100 parents recently approached for deferred consent.Setting Tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit, Melbourne, Australia.Results All 100 parents interviewed had consented to the study/studies using deferred consent; 62\% had also experienced a prospective neonatal consent process. Eighty-nine per cent were {\textquoteleft}satisfied{\textquoteright} with the deferred consent process. The most common reason given for consenting was {\textquoteleft}to help future babies{\textquoteright}. Negative comments regarding deferred consent mostly related to the timing of the consent approach, and some related to a perceived loss of parental rights. A deferred approach was preferred by 51\%, 24\% preferred a prospective approach and 25\% were unsure. Those who thought prospective consent would not have been preferable cited impaired decision-making, inappropriate timing of an approach before birth and their preference for removal of the decision-making burden via deferred consent. Seventy-seven per cent thought they would have given the same response if approached prospectively; those who would have declined reported that a prospective approach under stressful conditions was unwelcome and too overwhelming.Conclusion In our sample, 89\% of parents of infants enrolled in neonatal research using deferred consent considered it acceptable and half would not have preferred prospective consent. The ability to make a more considered decision under less stressful circumstances was key to the acceptability of deferred consent.Data are available on reasonable request.}, issn = {1359-2998}, URL = {https://fn.bmj.com/content/106/3/258}, eprint = {https://fn.bmj.com/content/106/3/258.full.pdf}, journal = {Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition} }