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Severely disabled girl undergoes treatment to stay small

Categories: Just For Moms, Just For Dads, Media

I'm curious to know what you think about this story. The parents of a disabled six-year-old girl sought and obtained permission to medically stop her from growing into adulthood. The treatment, called growth-attenuation, included a hysterectomy and high doses of estrogen.

The girl is one of three children of a well-educated, caring couple. (Her siblings are healthy.) She smiles and vocalizes when interacting with her family, and they love her very much. They stopped her growth because they feared that as she became bigger they wouldn't be able to care for her in their home.

It's a heartbreaking story, and I think I understand, as much as a total outsider is able to, why they decided to keep her small. It is, admittedly, a shocking story, though. I thought about it all day before I was able to tell just what I thought about it. Straight away I understood the parents' intent and desire to keep their daughter in their care. That made sense to me. But part of me wonders about the precedent being set, and how the patient's rights and health fit into the puzzle of it all.

The news article I referred to says that the doctors who wrote this report are hoping it will spark a good debate about the subject. So, what do you think? Do you think this is ethical medical treatment, or does it give you enough pause to make you think it is going too far?

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