Monday, November 13, 2006

Preemies: When to Call it Quits--UPDATED, Scroll Down

The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon Says:

Life Begins At...
A surprising moment of humanity from the church -- in this case, the Church Of England, calling for doctors to be given the right to withhold treatment from seriously disabled newborns "in exceptional circumstances." Like, say, when their lives will be constant suffering. Amelia Hill and Jo Revill write for the London Observer that a bishop admits right to life for newborns is not absolute:

The church leaders' call for some children to be allowed to die - overriding the presumption that life should be preserved at any cost - comes in response to an independent inquiry, which is to be published this week, into the ethics of resuscitating and treating extremely premature babies.
My son would be dead with this policy. Had he been born in the Netherlands he wouldn't have been given a chance.

I'll grant you that he's a miracle. There are families suffering with children born later gestationally (26-28 weeks) who endure worse developmental issues. The expense is enormous. The human toll great.

But still, how do you make a cut-off?

UPDATE: Never, says the Vatican.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No doubt, the COE is bankrupt.