Euthanasia and children-opinions

[Mikelly1221]

This is an article from a British paper regarding euthanasia laws in Belgium. The article is from March 2008 and discusses the rights of teens and younger children to medically assisted suicide. The teens would choose it for themselves and parents could choose it for their younger children.

Since we've had some recent threads on euthanasia in the U.S., I thought this was another angle from another country. Thoughts? Personally, I find this article horrifying and very sad.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ed-right-to-'medically-assisted-suicide'.html

 

[Cool-Beans]

I think that suffering is worse than dying. I would rather let people choose to not suffer than tell them they must because that's how I like it.

It's a choice people should be able to make for themselves and their children.

 

[Feralpeg]

If my child were suffering and there was not hope, I hope I would be strong enough to authorize euthanasia. I'd do it with love and compassion. Enduring pain is no badge of honor. To be able to assist with a quick and merciful death when there is no hope is, IMHO, a noble thing to do. Obviously, this should only happen when more than one medical authority has stated that there is not hope for recovery.

 

[MyManGoofy!]

I think that suffering is worse than dying. I would rather let people choose to not suffer than tell them they must because that's how I like it.

It's a choice people should be able to make for themselves and their children.

Exactly.

 

[singingpixie]

I agree with PPs. While it's an awful situation all-around, I still think having it as an option is the most humane thing to do. I would hope that there would be a supervising doctor signing off on it a bit more closely since either a minor would be making the decision, or parents would be making it for someone else.

 

[amyhughes]

I am personally conflicted due to religious belief on the thought of suicide. However, I don't think God wants us to suffer so, especially those of us who are so young. Color me conflicted on this issue.

 

[Mikelly1221]

The article went on to say that it is legal to euthanize infants 12 months old and younger, and in a small percentage of the cases, parental consent was not considered. While the whole article is horrifying to me, this was probably the worst part.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The article went on to say that it is legal to euthanize infants 12 months old and younger, and in a small percentage of the cases, parental consent was not considered. While the whole article is horrifying to me, this was probably the worst part.

I would imagine it is extremely rare to euthanize a baby without parental consent.

I am fine with euthanasia when the ONLY possible outcome is a slow, painful death. Quality over quantity.

 

[AJ102]

Here's the quote:

Euthanasia is currently permitted on infants and more than half of the Belgian babies who die before they are 12 months old have been killed by deliberate medical intervention.

In 16 per cent of cases parental consent was not considered.

It's not a small percentage, it's 16 percent of euthanasia cases for kids under 12 months. This sounds like eugenics, not euthanasia to me. It reminds me of the Nazis, and I don't use that term loosely.

ETA: The population of Belgium is about 10.4 million. The birth rate is about 10.2%, so roughly 1 million babies per year. The infant mortality rate is 4.5 babies per 1000 live births (die before age 1), or 4500 babies. If half of these are killed by euthanasia, that's 2250 per year. If 16% of those are killed without the parents' consent, that's 360 babies each year. What if that were your child? That's awful. (Feel free to check my numbers. I did it without a calculator, so they may or may not be accurate.) Legalizing euthanasia has gone too far when it gives permission to doctors to play God.

 

[freckles and boo]

I have watched cancer take over and kill several loved ones. I have watched emphysema kill two loved ones. Their final days were awful. When the point of no return is reached there is mercy in ending the suffering, but I think there is the potential for abuse as well. I hope NEVER EVER to have to make such a decision for one of my children, but I would not want to see them suffer either. I am torn.

 

[eeyoremum]

I would say it depends.

There was a case near where I live of a child dying of cancer. The mum had died of cancer. It was only this child, his father, and the step mother. The step mother was the media spokes person for this family. The family claimed the child wanted to be allowed to die.

I alway had the nasty feeling the the step mum was puching the family in that direction more than the child. CSA got involved in the case and the parents were denied access to the child.

I am not saying that all step parents are evil or anything. It was just the way this woman came off on camera.

 

[m&m's mom]

There was a case here in Dallas a few years ago about a baby that had been in the hospital since birth. MULTIPLE issues that were all life threatening. The indigent parents refused to stop treatment and sued multiple times to continue treatment even though there was virtually zero chance of any form of recovery.
At the point the child was 2 or so and had milllions of dollars of care, the hospital sued to take over parents rights and let the child die peacefully.
It was heartbreaking reading what the nurses and Doctors said about the child and the pain they were all in and how the parents hardly ever saw the child. The medical staff was fighting so that the child was no longer put through what the parents were insisting on.
Thankfully the hospital won and the child was allowed to die.
I think children should have the same rights as adults in not being kept alive in pain.

 

[Mikelly1221]

Here's the quote:

Euthanasia is currently permitted on infants and more than half of the Belgian babies who die before they are 12 months old have been killed by deliberate medical intervention.

In 16 per cent of cases parental consent was not considered.

It's not a small percentage, it's 16 percent of euthanasia cases for kids under 12 months. This sounds like eugenics, not euthanasia to me. It reminds me of the Nazis, and I don't use that term loosely.

ETA: The population of Belgium is about 10.4 million. The birth rate is about 10.2%, so roughly 1 million babies per year. The infant mortality rate is 4.5 babies per 1000 live births (die before age 1), or 4500 babies. If half of these are killed by euthanasia, that's 2250 per year. If 16% of those are killed without the parents' consent, that's 360 babies each year. What if that were your child? That's awful. (Feel free to check my numbers. I did it without a calculator, so they may or may not be accurate.) Legalizing euthanasia has gone too far when it gives permission to doctors to play God.

I agree, and I don't know why I said "small percentage" as any percentage is too much for me. What if you're the parent who doesn't want to euthanize your child and the doctor comes in and says "Too bad, we're doing it anyway"? Or just does it and doesn't say anything to you?

 

[AJ102]

There was a case here in Dallas a few years ago about a baby that had been in the hospital since birth. MULTIPLE issues that were all life threatening. The indigent parents refused to stop treatment and sued multiple times to continue treatment even though there was virtually zero chance of any form of recovery.
At the point the child was 2 or so and had milllions of dollars of care, the hospital sued to take over parents rights and let the child die peacefully.
It was heartbreaking reading what the nurses and Doctors said about the child and the pain they were all in and how the parents hardly ever saw the child. The medical staff was fighting so that the child was no longer put through what the parents were insisting on.
Thankfully the hospital won and the child was allowed to die.
I think children should have the same rights as adults in not being kept alive in pain.

So Bush (as governor) signed into law a bill giving hospitals the right to deny care to patients based on money, unless the relatives can find another hospital to take the patient. There was another case in Texas where this law was used and the case wasn't exactly clear cut. The person (an adult) was being cut off from life support, but the relatives of the patient could find no other hospital to take the patient because of the expense of his care (he had no insurance). I'm pretty sure another hospital stepped in at the last moment, but while the parents in your case may have been wrong, in general it's unfair to let hospitals and doctors make that final decision without the family's consent. Money should not be the deciding factor in whether a sick person lives or dies.

 

[AJ102]

I agree, and I don't know why I said "small percentage" as any percentage is too much for me. What if you're the parent who doesn't want to euthanize your child and the doctor comes in and says "Too bad, we're doing it anyway"? Or just does it and doesn't say anything to you?

I can't even imagine..

 

[Cheshire Figment]

In the space of 3½ months I have had to have both of my cats euthanized. These were not easy decisions. But for the 17½ year old (with stomach cancer) and for the 14 year old (with total kidney failure) their quality of life was almost at zero.

There was nothing that could be done for Sheeba, and the doctor said she would have been dead within two weeks anyway. For Tally I could have kept her on medications including infusing liquids subcutaneously into her daily, and this would prolong her life by about two months; otherwise she would have been dead in less than a week.

And when I made these decisions I did not consider financial circumstances. For the two cats this year's medical and medicine bills came to about $4,000; I did not add the amount up until today. And I did not include the cost of food or litter.

I did not ask permission from either of them, but knew it had to be done.

 

[KathyTX]

While I know that our pets mean a lot to many of us, there's really no comparison between putting down a pet and choosing to terminate the life of a child.

Everything is different: legally, ethically, emotionally, financially different. We expect our children to outlive us, to continue the thread of family legacy.

Losing a pet is hard, but losing a family member is devasting and forever life-changing.

 

[Mikelly1221]

I think my main problem (among others) with this is the idea of euthanizing infants. If an adult wants to kill himself, there's not much anyone can do to stop him/her. But, in researching more, they are euthanizing children (infants) that have spina bifida. This is not a fatal disease. The picture I'm seeing is of babies being born and having a serious problem that may not lead directly to death and parents are choosing to kill them. Or, worse, doctors are choosing to kill them. Plus, the thought in the articles I read is that many of the "mercy-killings" are going unreported.

Ok, here's the question: is it ok to euthanize an infant that has a serious medical problem that would not lead immediately to death, such as spina bifida, Down's syndrome, etc?

 

[freckles and boo]

Ok, here's the question: is it ok to euthanize an infant that has a serious medical problem that would not lead immediately to death, such as spina bifida, Down's syndrome, etc?

Only if the child was in chronic, uncontrollable pain. I don't know that DS or Spina Bifida create that kind of pain.

 

[Mr Man]

“I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel” ... The Hippocratic Oath


"And can a man his own quietus make
With a bare bodkin?

With daggers, bodkins, bullets, man can make
a bruise or break of exit for his life,
but is that a quietus, 0 tell me, is it quietus?
Surely not so! for how could murder
even self murder,
ever a quietus make?
O let us talk of quiet that we know,
that we can know, the deep and lovely quiet
of a strong heart at peace!" ... “THE SHIP OF DEATH” by D. H. Lawrence



Not a fan of euthanasia. In any form.