she had a hysterectomy at 6 years of age, they removed her breast buds to stop her from developing breasts and they have treated her with high doses of estrogen to stop her growth... is this ethical treatment of a child or abuse?
2007-01-04 16:48:18 · 6 answers · asked by moejaymom 3 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
to be "fair" this little girl has a reported intellect of a three month old infant, but as she cannot communicate I can't help but wonder at the accuracy of that report.
2007-01-04 16:50:48 · update #1
She was not simply handicapped. She had had no brain growth, motion, or motor skills development past the age of 3 mos. There is absolutely no chance of a cure or recovery, as she has static encephalopathy.; she's very lucky to be alive and in as good health as she is. The stopping of her growth is because in time, she would have become too big to bathe in a tub (she must be lying down, as she can't roll over, sit up, walk, talk, eat, or control all of her movements), had increasing instances of bed sores, had to deal with menstruation, hormones, the pain of breast growth, and the possibility of sexualization or rape at the hands of outside caretakers that could result in a pregnancy she could not care for.
In order for her to be picked up and held, as well as moved from room to room, her growth was stopped, after approval through a 41-man ethics committee at a children's hospital. She is a cherished part of the family, where she shares her life with two siblings who are not similarly affected, and where she is taken on every family outing and given the joy and attention any child should receive. She can be easily moved from room to room to be with the family, and her health changes have ensured that she can live out her life with her parents, rather than in a nursing home or in a room filled with ropes and pulleys to lift her.
So, as a loving parent to my little one, I'd say it's ethical treatment by people who adore their child every moment of the day.
2007-01-04 16:55:08 · answer #1 · answered by fairygothmommy 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question... the reason the parents had the surgery done was that she was so severely handicapped that she was never going to walk or be mobile whatsoever. By growing, she was limiting her parents ability to lift her and care for her. So they decided to "stunt" her growth so they could continue to care for her.
My question is this... why couldn't the parents hire help as she grows... or obtain the proper equipment needed to bathe and care for an adult-size person? I know of one society that will provide the equipment for FREE if you can provide medical proof that you need it. I don't know the answer to that... maybe it still was going to be too difficult... or perhaps they didn't want to go through all of that expense of re-structuring their lives.
Whether or not it is ethical.... the girl will never really comprehend what has happened to her.. therefore she will never "regret" not becoming a woman.
Keep in mind that the parents may have made the decision to have this done...but they had to go through an ethics board at the hospital. More than one person was involved in the approval of the surgeries performed. And entire group of doctors and experts evaluated the situation and made a decision to go ahead with this event.
2007-01-04 16:56:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am really torn on this..
I can understand the stopping of her periods. With the way her mind is she would never be able to produce a child and take care of it or understand the pain that would be involved with giving birth. Basically the only reason to have periods is to procreate.
The stop her growth is wear I am torn. Her mind is of an infants, an infant needs held, loved, nurtured. So in that respect I can understand it because with the size she will remain the parents will be able to do all these things with out the difficulty of adult size.
But in the same breath part of me feels its a tad extreme.
But..
Since her mind is that of a child, maybe it is in her best interest to remain child like. I don't envy her parents this must have been one of the hardest things they had to endure through all this.
2007-01-04 17:34:59 · answer #3 · answered by Issym 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
nicely i could have had an better probability of loss of life than i did if we did not have it. i've got not had any severe ailments, injuries illnesses and so on touch wood, yet i replaced into born untimely. i be attentive to untimely births would be common yet, oftentimes, this is barely some days isn't it? besides, i replaced into born purely over 2 months untimely. Now, i'm no conventional practitioner yet i'm guessing a delivery that untimely could have been a lot greater severe if we did not have the scientific intervention we've right now, good? I won't flow into factor yet i maximum easily had to have scientific intervention whilst i replaced into born. different than that, i could in all probability be alive.
2016-12-12 04:12:57 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from what i've read of "ashley", it's in her best interest to keep her at a more manageable size, so her parents can keep her at home and take care of her, rather than having to send her to a home. i used to take care of a middle school girl who is confined to a wheel chair b/c of cerebral palsy. she was very difficult to take care of by the 8th grade; and the womanly cycles were just a huge annoyance to her and whoever had to take care of her. she could use her arms, but didn't have much dexterity in her hands. she couldn't hold her head up & moved around in a motorized wheelchair.
2007-01-04 16:57:37 · answer #5 · answered by Becky 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No it is not ethical.....but I do not believe it is or should be illegal. Sometimes there is no good decision to make and we just have to be glad that we are not the ones that had to make it.
2007-01-04 17:27:58 · answer #6 · answered by Michael 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋