Novi Pazar Commanding Moderator
Posts: 7342
(8/15/07 1:24 pm) Reply
Your opinions about Euthanasia? (IPT)
UK experts call for debate on euthanasia for seriously disabled newborns
Child Health News
Published: Monday, 6-Nov-2006
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The prestigious Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology in Britain has suggested that there needs to be open debate about the extent that doctors should go to when it comes to ensuring the survival of seriously disabled babies.
The College in a report is asking doctors to consider euthanizing disabled and sick newborns and says the suggestion has arisen as a result of the rising number of newborns who are able to survive because of medical advances.
The college says the birth of such children often devastates families who suffer both emotional and financial hardships.
The College says the severely disabled babies who until recently would not have survived, are now able to do so because of medical advances and euthanasia should be considered in some cases.
Support for the proposal has apparently come from both parents of severely disabled babies, medical ethicists and geneticists but concern has been expressed by others that the suggestion smacks of social engineering.
The report says that if obstetricians were allowed to carry out active euthanasia, some patients would be more inclined to wait till birth, rather than carrying out late abortions.
In the report submitted to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the College is calling for a working party to consider non-resuscitation and the withdrawal of treatment to be an option in some cases along with active euthanasia.
The euthanasia of newborns, regardless of how sick and disabled they are, is illegal in the United Kingdom and the college confirms it is at this stage merely asking for a debate on the matter.
However it is known that doctors in the UK do privately admit that mercy killings of newborns does take place.
The euthanasia of newborns is allowed in the Netherlands for a range of incurable conditions cases such as severe spina bifida and the skin condition epidermolysis bullosa.
The suggestion is part of an answer to ethical questions concerning prolonging life in newborn babies.
I come across this article the other day and l thought about posting it here and to find out about perceptions people might have about this on going issue of Euthanasia.
-------------- AAdmin: This is now an IPT thread which means it will move eventually through all major illyria forums. Strict IPT rules!
The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with
Senior Moderator
Posts: 5891
(8/15/07 1:38 pm) Reply
Re: Sar
You know, there is another aspect of this article which I did not address.
Nowadays, technology is such that you would be aware of such "major" birth defects at 20 weeks of pregnancy and probably even at 11 weeks (Nuchal Fold Ultrasound).
The reality is if you are going to put a baby to death, isn't it better to just have an abortion?
I know this obviously brings up the entire abortion debate, but no matter how repugnant abortion might be viewed, it is much more palatable then euthanizing a severely handicapped newborn.
My sense is that this is really a non-issue (or at least should be a non-issue) because most people who would euthanize would probably just abort instead.
Novi Pazar Commanding Moderator
Posts: 7345
(8/15/07 1:44 pm) Reply
Re: Sar
"The reality is if you are going to put a baby to death, isn't it better to just have an abortion?"
Good points you bring above and l completely agree, but doesn't it annoy you that the right to life people say abortion is cruel and inhumane, then what should we do?
The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with
Commanding Moderator
Posts: 4056
(8/15/07 1:49 pm) Reply
Re: Sar
Euthanasia? I always thought that was another word for legal suicide. A newborn isn't capable of euthanasing itself, so what are we really calling it, mercy killing?
Senior Moderator
Posts: 5894
(8/15/07 1:55 pm) Reply
Re: Sar
Quote:Good points you bring above and l completely agree, but doesn't it annoy you that the right to life people say abortion is cruel and inhumane, then what should we do?
Well, I am a bit divided on the issue, because I think that abortion has become a form of birth control.
Novi Pazar Commanding Moderator
Posts: 7348
(8/15/07 1:55 pm) Reply
Re: Fender
^ Exactly, but how about a terminally ill person who wants to die....do you think he/she has a right?
The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with
Re: Fender
There are many seriously disabled people who have a very good quality of life which is much better than many people with well-functional brain and body. They are happy only because they are experiencing life, so why take that away from them?
Kasso, Albanian Hero, The Defender of Albanian Rights in Illyria forums. I live for Albanianism.
Senior Moderator
Posts: 5895
(8/15/07 2:08 pm) Reply
Re: Fender
Quote:Exactly, but how about a terminally ill person who wants to die....do you think he/she has a right?
Probably, but that is not the primary question. I think the question we should answer first is "how can we properly police who really wants to die"?
What if someone creates a living will that says something like "if I get to point "x" then I want to be euthanized". Then that person loses the ability to speak, but internally decides the life they are living is not so bad and now does not want to die.
If the person can't communicate (written or verbal) how could they convey this to us and if we euthanize them, isn't it murder?
I read a great article about America's most well known advocate of euthanasia (Jack Kevorkian). The article was written (brilliantly by sports writer and novelist Mitch Albom) and he has a take on the person doing the "putting down". Kind of made me think we would leave ourselves ripe for abuse.
Commanding Moderator
Posts: 4061
(8/15/07 2:20 pm) Reply
Re: Fender
Quote:I read a great article about America's most well known advocate of euthanasia (Jack Kevorkian). The article was written (brilliantly by sports writer and novelist Mitch Albom) and he has a take on the person doing the "putting down". Kind of made me think we would leave ourselves ripe for abuse.
Good question Sar. Good article to, which is why I suggested a thorough councelling and assesments from 3 shrinks involving all of the family to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Some form of checks and balances need to be set up to ensure compliance/policing of strict guidelines.
Novi Pazar Commanding Moderator
Posts: 7350
(8/15/07 2:20 pm) Reply
Re: Sar
"If the person can't communicate (written or verbal) how could they convey this to us and if we euthanize them, isn't it murder?"
Excellant point, l had in mind before that how can we determine if a vegetable (sorry if l may offend someone) wants to live or die?
Your link, l found this passage funny:
Are you at all religious? I asked him.
"Religion is all bunk. . . . If you're really religious, you can't think for yourself."
Would you call yourself an atheist?
"Agnostic."
The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with
Forum Emperor!(Balkan Papa)
Posts: 5707
(8/16/07 6:38 am) Reply
Re: Sar
I also believe that that euthanasia should be allowed in case of terminally ill patients if they desire it. If they are adults of a fluid mind(=fact) and fully aware(=fact) and if they deem that such outcome is most desirable to them so be it. No one has the right to keep them from suffering (=fact) further out of some dogma (=fiction) that such individual might or might not be following.
_________
Less Balkanian Dogmatic Paranoia. More Rational Ancient Hellenic Wisdom.
Re: Sar
mental illness hurts more than physical illness
Kasso, Albanian Hero, The Defender of Albanian Rights in Illyria forums. I live for Albanianism.
vinyak Commanding Moderator
Posts: 4210
(8/16/07 9:00 am) Reply
Re: Sar
Life is precious but there is a point where it becomes a nightmare, someone who has terminal cancer and is in Uncontrolable pain, that person should have the right to ask for a more dignified death and for there suffering to be ended i believe it should be legal for those cases.
As far as deformed etc babies are concerned I trully dont know, on the one hand you have the consequences of the life this child would lead, Life as we have come to accept and understand.
On the other hand the very same child knows no difference and (I am guessing) what seems abnormale to us would be normal to someone born with abnormalitys..I am refering to severe abnormalitys here, there would be one exception though and that would be if the child was in Pain and clearly suffering from Pain, then i guess I would make the descision (god forbid that i would ever be in that situation)
Edited by: vinyak at: 8/16/07 9:01 am
Re: Sar
Some percentage of the world's population would become "extinct" if you start providing euthanasia for sick people who have serious illness like epidermolysis bullosa.
Kasso, Albanian Hero, The Defender of Albanian Rights in Illyria forums. I live for Albanianism.
at: 8/16/07 6:29 am
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