the moral issue

8/7/2019 The Moral Issue

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They say..A child is a blessing to a

family.


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But what if...Things did not turn out

the way you expected it tobe?


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Will you hold

on?


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Or

will youlet go?


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MEANING AND

CAUSES OF

BIRTH

DEFORMITIES


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y Birth deformities defects, malformations, orabnormalities, of a child

which are present at birth

Two types:

1. genetic deformities

2. congenital deformities


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yGenetic deformities- are abnormalitiespresent in the geneticmaterial


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Causes of congenital deformities:a. Radiation

b. Drugs

c.nutritional deficiencies

d. Biological disease agents


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Suggested ways to avoid giving birth to a baby withdeformities:

genetic practice contraception

e.g., vasectomy, tubal ligation

congenital- perform detection of seriousmalformations and decide to have anabortion (eugenic abortion/selective

abortion)


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COMMON TYPES

OF DEFORMITIES


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yTrisomy-21 also known as Downs syndrome- genetic disease which results from

the presence of an extra chromosome in the

genetic formation havinf a twenty-first triplechromosome rather than a twenty-first pairchromosome


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Characteristics:

a. A broad skull (big-headed newborn)

b. A large tongue

c. An upward slant of the eyelids (identified asmongolism)


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y Spina Bifida has the following features:a. An opening in the spine

b. Bulging sac resulting from the protrusion of themembrane covering of the spinal cord

c. Spinal f luid and nerve tissue contained in theswelling protuberance

d. Paralysis below the waist

e. No control of bladder and bowel movement


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y Hydrocephaly means water in the head or in thebrain

-characterized by the accumulation of fluid

within the ventricles or between the membranes inthe brain especially in very young children


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y Anencephaly means without brain- the brain is partially or almost totallyabsent


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y Esophageal atresia closing of the esophagus

(muscular tube through which milkor food may reach the stomach)


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y

Duodenal Atresia the duodenum, upper part of thesmall intestine, is closed off.


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RE

TROSPEC

T


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Parents:yShould the malformed child be

given only ordinary care?Or

yShould extraordinary medicaltreatment be given to save its life?


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yShould it be given no medicalattention at all and be simplyallowed to die?

yShould it be killed in a mercifulway?


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Medical practitioners

responsibility:

yBrief the parents about all pertinent

information in connection with the status oftheir malformed child.

y

Informed consent must be observed asmuch as possible.


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Application of Ethical

Theories


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Roman Catholics:y Even the most terribly malromed baby is a human

person, so its right to life must be respected and

safeguarded.y But one should also consider the suffering of the

family.

y It would still be immoral te deliberately kill the

malformed baby, or to cause its death by act ofommission.


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Kantian principles:y The malformed baby possesses an inherent dignity

and worth.

y

But it lacks capacity to reason and to express its will.Its argument:

Can we not at least allow it to die with dignity?

Can we not just let it die in a painless manner, in order

to liberate it from prolonged suffering and a hopelesslife?

Would it be our duty to do so?


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Ross principles:y Which prima dutie is more stringent?

The duty to have a deformed baby be operated , the cost ofwhich is or tremendous and burden some to the family; or

The duty to just let the malformed child die in a painlessand quiet way?

y The physician is still responsible for giving all relevant

data that would help in decision-making.


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Fletchers

Situ

ation

Ethics:

yA proportionate good makes sense of whatwe do.

y When a newborn is seriously incapacitated, thenthe human harm prevented and the sufferingrelieved by putting an end to its life justifies any

painless actof commission.


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Utilitarianism:y The greatest happiness for the greatest

number.

y May justify the act of putting an end to themiserable life of a newborn with severedeformalities with the following reasons:

Personal

Social


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Pragmatismy Principles of usefulness, practicality, workability, and

beneficiality

y

It depends upon the parents financial resources andsense of being pragmatic

y But if the childs deformities are so serious and severe,the most realistic and practical decision would be to

put its life to end.


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