Parental rights, child welfare, and public health: the case of PKU screening.

The right of parents to refuse consent for phenylketonuria (PKU) screening is discussed in terms of moral justifications. The authors take the position that the primary function of a parental consent requirement is to protect children's welfare. In the case of PKU screening, the intervention poses minimal risk of harm while refusal of screening poses a significant risk to the child. Therefore, the principle of preventing harm overrides the parental right to refuse PKU screening.