When a Parent Refuses Medical Care for Their Children

Parents, with the extreme exceptions, want to do what is in the best interest of their child. They believe they are entitled to make decisions about the welfare of their child and that it is a violation of their right for anyone to order them to take measures they believe are wrong. The views of parents with binding religious and moral beliefs, greatly conflict all too often with the medical world. When is it justifiable to overrule a parent’s decision to refuse medical treatment for their child? I will argue that the Harm Principle serves as a justifiable means to overruling a parent’s decision.

According to the harm principle, we may restrict the freedom of other people to act if the restriction is necessary to prevent harm to others (pp.903). I agree, in such cases provided in the text (chemotherapy and blood transfusions), that medical intervention must be administered against a parent’s better judgment in life threatening situations. Too many times, the parents’ choice to refuse certain therapies results in more harm to the child than the actual therapy. One can argue that the risks and trials that accompany some therapies are much worse than the benefits achieved. I will argue that, although the pain might be hard to deal with, temporary pain is better than permanent loss. It is better to be able to pray and practice your religion during the life-saving treatments than to sit and mourn and regret not making the decision to attempt to save your child.

As a general notion, the public has agreed that minors are generally considered incompetent to provide legally binding consent regarding their healthcare, and parents are generally empowered to make those decisions on their behalf, unless that decision places the ...

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Works Cited

Munson, R. (2012). Intervention and reflection. basic issues in bioethics. (9 ed., pp. 36-37). Boston: Wadsworth.

Munson, R. (2012). Intervention and reflection. basic issues in bioethics. (9 ed., pp. 87). Boston: Wadsworth.

Munson, R. (2012). Intervention and reflection. basic issues in bioethics. (9 ed., pp. 97). Boston: Wadsworth.

Munson, R. (2012). Intervention and reflection. basic issues in bioethics. (9 ed., pp. 98). Boston: Wadsworth.

Munson, R. (2012). Intervention and reflection. basic issues in bioethics. (9 ed., pp. 103). Boston: Wadsworth.

Patsner, Bruce (2009). Faith versus Medicine: When a Parent Refuses A child’s Medical Care.

University of Houston Law Center.

http://www.law.uh.edu/Healthlaw/perspectives/2009/(BP)%20Faith.pdf?&lang=en_us&output=j

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