Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Baby Life support case goes public :: :: Hyscience

Baby Life support goes public :: :: Hyscience

The case of baby MB is one of those heart wrenching cases where a 17 month old baby is being placed under a death sentence against the parents' wishes. This is another UK case where the doctors have to the courts asking that they be allowed to withdraw life support.

The case is only slightly different from Charlotte Wyatt's case. Both sets of parents want their babies to live but the doctors do not want to continue treatment. Baby MB is worse off than Charlotte because this poor little mite has a condition known as muscle atrophy that is leading to eventual paralysis. He need oxygen to survive and the doctors are making the request to stop the oxygen. The parents want their son to be given a tracheotomy so that they can take him home.

At issue in this case is once again who has the right to determine whether a severely disabled baby should live or die, based upon a very subjective view of life being: "quality of life". Who are these doctors that they think that they have the right to decide whether or not either Charlotte or Baby MB should live or die? They are not God, but they are attempting to play God, by going to the courts to ask permission to literally kill these babies because they do not measure up to their predetermined idea of a quality of life.

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