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Old 03-17-2002, 09:49 AM   #9
Xantar
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That would be all well and good, Blackmane, except the parents don't know what to do. That's why the ethics committee got involved. The parents have decided to go with what the ethics committee decides.

Moreover, let me just throw you a not-so-hypothetical example. The parents have a premature baby that will grow up to be retarded. It will have an IQ of 60 which means they will have to take care of it for the rest of their lives since it won't be able to get a good paying job. They don't feel capable of handling this. The kid also has a disease that will kill him if not treated, and the parents decide not to treat in order to avoid the responsibility of raising him. Are you going to go along with that?

What if it's a perfectly healthy kid who gets an infected leg and the parents refuse to give it antibiotics? Are you similarly going to withhold antibiotics which means the kid will lose a leg if not life altogether?

We cannot rely on patient autonomy in all cases. Sometimes, they are clearly not capable of making the decision. They may be stupid, but more often, they are just so emotionally wrung out that they can't be rational. It was a good idea to try asking the parents, but unfortunately, I already told you what they would say.
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