Art. 1554.  Deprivation of medical or surgical care prohibited; exceptions

No child, including any infant born alive, shall be intentionally denied or deprived of any medical or surgical care by his parent, physician, or any other person when such medical or surgical care is necessary to attempt to save the life of the child in the opinion of a physician exercising competent medical judgment, except:

(1)  When a child is in a continual profound comatose state and in the opinion of the child's physician, exercising competent medical judgment, he has no reasonable chance of recovery from that state despite every appropriate medical treatment to correct such condition, the child's parents and physician may discontinue the use of life-support systems or other medical treatment.

(2)  When a child suffers from a terminal and irreversible condition despite every appropriate medical treatment to correct such condition, the child's parents and physician may discontinue the use of life-sustaining procedures or other medical treatment.

(3)  When the potential risks to the child's life or health inherent in any treatment or surgery outweigh the potential benefits for survival from the treatment or surgery, a child's parents and physician may decline to provide potentially lifesaving medical or surgical care for the child.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §15, eff. Jan. 1, 1992.