Question a doctor, lose your child

[ticktock]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6823345.ece

 

[ireland_nicole]

So incredibly frustrating, and sad;

Having lived in IRE for 5 years, I can tell you that this kind of thing can and does happen. We were threatened when we refused to allow a doctor who was covering for ours to perform a dangerous and inappropriate test on our 12 month old. It was only our Doctor returning the next day that saved our situation from becoming even worse.

 

[kevschickee]

That is awful

 

[princessmom29]

There has to be some kind of happy medium here, and some ability to use reason. parents who refuse to allow medical care of their children when it is obviously necessary should be overidden, but this is taking things too far.

 

[a1tinkfans]

SCARY and SAD!

And what is MORE scary to me is the "current" intent to involve MORE gov't into each one of our everyday lives.

Another opportunity for Another Wake Up call, the times they are changing...............thanks for posting....

 

[stacopp]

very sad...

 

[CLR4321]

That is just sad. I can say, I would not do well in any country with policies like that.

 

[Acklander]

That is just sad. I can say, I would not do well in any country with policies like that.

I don't think it's a country thing, but more of a doctor with a God complex thing. Does anyone remember that case from years ago where a woman wouldn't consent to having a c-section and the doctor brought her to court so that he could perform surgery on her against her will? Sometimes Doctors have a hard time hearing "I don't agree with your diagnosis".

 

[princessmom29]

I agree with most of what is being said here, but please keep in mind that there are cases out there where this kind of intervention is warrented and necessary. I agree that the cases presented in tha article are extreme, but what about the mom a while back who refused to allow her child to be treated for a curable cancer b/c she believed he was capable of healing himself? That child could have potentally died a horrible and totally avoidable death if the courts hadn't intervened. There are also parents out there who refuse any kind of medical treatment for their children b/c of their beliefs. The problematic question that has to be dealt with here is where does a parent's right to choose for their child end, and the child's right to life saving medical treatment begin? Again, these doctors have goine way over that line, but there has to be some kind of safeguard in place to protect children who need lifesaving procedures thier parents refuse for totally non-medical reasons.

 

[trekkie2]

Being a nurse and currently working in a position with at risk parents where I deal with social services on almost a daily basis, I have a VERY hard time believing that this article is not spun for the sake of a good story. If there was social service involvement, there had to be additional issues going on, or the safety of the child warrented intervention. I have been involved in a case where social serivces was notified over the refusal of the parents to seek emergency medical treatment for a child, in the instance I was involved in, it was very appropriate. I truly believe that parents are the best authority on their children, unfortunatly some parents are not capable of making the safety choice for their child.