Document Type

Student Paper

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Comments

Children have a uniquely protected position within the framework of human subjects research. Federal regulations classify them as a vulnerable population, which entitles them to heightened safeguards that are designed to minimize the exposure to risk and prevent exploitation. There is a deeply rooted ethical commitment to shield those who lack full legal and developmental capacity to consent, which is grounded in principles of beneficence and respect for persons. Although this regulatory framework has been largely successful, it has also produced an unintended consequence, the systematic exclusion of children from clinical research.

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