Decisions for Impaired Newborns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decisions for Impaired Newborns - Essay Example There is no ethical difference. For children born with severe birth defects due to causes that occurred during the first, second, or third trimester and were identified, aborting this baby, and giving birth to the baby suffering from diseases that cannot have surgery performed. In the United States, it is possible to screen for genetic diseases on embryos prior to their implantation to the womb(Nelson, 2009). For an embryo with severe genetic defects that will be incurable even after birth, the ethical questions in aborting this child will be similar to the ethical questions asked for giving birth to a child suffering from a disease that parents will do nothing to stop them from dying. Sade (2011) highlights that parents should have the final decisions on the treatment of their impaired infants. However, the parents must make informed decisions especially for infants with severe conditions like anencephaly where they are born with brains that nearly fail to develop completely. According to Wilkinson (2006), doctors must seek to explain to such parents that such infants do not have an anatomical substrate for motor and cognition coordination and the sensory processing. Furthermore, parents must understand that anencephaly infants have a hard time accepting any form of deep nurturing or personal relationships. However, McHaffie, Laing, Parker, & McMillan(2001) confirms that doctors must seek opinions of other specialists and ensure no impartial presentation of information to parents. â€Æ'