Has anyone seen this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_re_us/stunted_daughter
About the little girl brain damaged since birth. She's now 9 years old nd her parents had surgery done on her so she wouldn't grow taller or go through puberty. They say so they can take care of her better. I don't like the thought of messing with nature. What do you think? Were they right in what they did?
2007-01-05 04:50:42 · 9 answers · asked by tuxgal3 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
The way I see this is, this young girl is suffering enough mentally. Why in the world would her parents put her through the physical suffering also?! Is it not enough for their daughter to struggle with living through her brain damage? Yet they feel they are doing themselves a favor! I think it's sad.... yes, they are WRONG.
2007-01-05 14:00:41 · answer #1 · answered by tuxguy3 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's completely unethical. As someone who has worked with children with extraordinary needs, I can tell you that things like this are far more common than most people realize. It is not usually done by surgery--hormone "therapy" is far more commone--but it is in some areas typical to physically retard the development of the mentally handicapped. The only reason to do this is to ease the work of the caregiver. It's wrong. People with extraordinary needs are just that: PEOPLE. If they can't consent to having unnecessary and radical surgery done, they shouldn't have it performed on them. Unless there is a medical reason to prevent a child from entering puberty--or severe emotional trauma to the extent that it would be better for the child to prevent it--the child should be allowed to grow and develop as normally as possible.
2007-01-05 12:58:49 · answer #2 · answered by N 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
this is more of an moral issue versus ethical. Because it depends on where you stand morally. Do you believe it is okay to play with life. I guess the ethical part is, is it okay for you not go give the child the right to grow up? and there in lies the ethical issue. Frankly morally and ethically, i feel that you shouldnt try to play god and she should be given a chance to grow like every other child.
2007-01-05 13:10:03 · answer #3 · answered by champagne b 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This presents itself as a dilemma because two competing ethical principles are at stake: (1) Unnecessary medical intervention to make other people's lives easier are considered unethical because it interferes with one life to benefit another. (2) People who are disabled deserve the best care possible, and that will more likely come from people who know and love them, usually family members. Anything we can do to help keep the disabled in the care of their family and out of an institution should be applied.
These principles are in conflict because we have only recently been able to apply medical intervention to prevent growth. The ethical debate will continue as we discover other ways that may allow disabled children and adults to remain in family care, but ways that we would consider abusive if applied to non-disabled adults.
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2007-01-05 12:58:47 · answer #4 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Although I think that in this case it's acceptable, in general it shouldn't be allowed. You start with this, and you can keep on moving forward. How mentally retarded do you have to be? What's the retard cutoff? And so on.
In this case she's never going to be using her body and only has the simplest brain functions, so I don't see what's wrong with keeping her bite-sized, so to speak.
2007-01-05 12:55:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends if it is better for the child or not, Im not a dr so I don't know, but If it is not better for the girl then I dont aproove
2007-01-05 12:56:47 · answer #6 · answered by TC 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I saw this. I was absolutely horrified!
2007-01-05 12:55:06 · answer #7 · answered by SusieeQ 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No its not right. It's sickening!
2007-01-05 12:54:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I say leave it up to God .
2007-01-05 12:54:35 · answer #9 · answered by Geedebb 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋