A very sad affair...

Parents chose holistic medicine instead of conventional and the child died. They are charged. What are your thoughts on this?

I knew a man who had very bad cancer...it was terminal. He listened to his family, who owned a health food store, and decided to forego convential medicine by taking mega vitamins and drinking tons of carrot juice. I was getting chemo at the time and not working ...so between treatments, I would sit with him while his wife was at the store working. His doctor was outraged because he thought this gentleman should have been encouraged to try the conventional medicine first...his cancer could have been cured at that point. His son was angry with his mom and sis for encouraging him to just rely on health doses of vits,etc. He died and that was that.

This is different because the child cannot speak on his own behalf. I think the parents were very wrong. I think the authorities should have taken this decision away from the parents long before the point of no return. Any opinions on this?

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/02/1...f-19-month-old

I don't think there's enough detail in the story to judge one way or the other. Some sicknesses don't seem like a big deal at first (especially if you are not a trained health professional). I'm not saying they weren't negligent; I'm just saying I don't know.

I think people should be able to make their own choices, and choices for their children, regarding health care, even if it's the wrong choice.

I respectfully disagree with that Sasha. I feel that children should be given the chance to have access to anything which will ensure that they have health and happiness. Parents are the folks who are responsible for your birth. A child is a seperate being that is entitled to every benefic that will improve his or her environment. If the parents cannot or will not do that, then somebody has to step in and speak up for the child's right. It is no different than stepping in and taking a child who is physically and mentally abused.

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Originally Posted by Todash

I don't think there's enough detail in the story to judge one way or the other. Some sicknesses don't seem like a big deal at first (especially if you are not a trained health professional). I'm not saying they weren't negligent; I'm just saying I don't know.

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Agreed. What was the boy sick with? If it was "flu-like symptoms", then the parents likely thought it was just another childhood illness. If it was "leukemia", then they should be charged. Also, what does the article mean by "holistic"... that's pretty broad.

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Originally Posted by Shasta

I think people should be able to make their own choices, and choices for their children, regarding health care, even if it's the wrong choice.

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...gotta disagree with you there honey...with that direction, the child will inevitably be a victim of a puddin'-headed choice...it's my nursing training and creed kicking in..."Do no harm".....

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Originally Posted by staropeace

I respectfully disagree with that Sasha. I feel that children should be given the chance to have access to anything which will ensure that they have health and happiness. Parents are the folks who are responsible for your birth. A child is a seperate being that is entitled to every benefic that will improve his or her environment. If the parents cannot or will not do that, then somebody has to step in and speak up for the child's right. It is no different than stepping in and taking a child who is physically and mentally abused.

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I disagree. Choosing holistic care, which is practiced in many, many countries, is not the same as abuse. In any way. It's a very valid medical practice.

I mean, I don't agree with not vaccinating kids either because I think it's dangerous but parents have that choice. Why shouldn't they be able to choose how their child is treated medically in other ways?

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Originally Posted by GNTLGNT

...gotta disagree with you there honey...with that direction, the child will inevitably be a victim of a puddin'-headed choice...it's my nursing training and creed kicking in..."Do no harm".....

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They weren't doing harm. They were treating their child holistically. This is their belief and they have a right to it. They were trying to treat the situation in the way they thought best. It just didn't work. They weren't actively hurting the child or ignoring the problem.

Their child died. The authorities would probably disagree with you that they weren't ignoring the problem. I cannot speak for the medical profession, I am sure Ally would be able to her two cents about how it is done in emerg...what proedures are taken, etc, but I think the medical staff are most likely trained to tell by the child's appearance how long he was sick by the condition he is in...how dehydrated, what he blood gases are like...etc. There are policies in place.

I worked for Children's services and was a family support supervisor for family service with Canniff and Ass. here in the city before I started with the Homeless shelters. I have had to visit homes and sometimes covertly take a good long look at the child clients... there are certain "tells" in bahavior that gives you some idea of the family dynamics. The medical profession probably has their own.

These parents still wanted the holistic way of medicine even when their child was on life-support. I have had to face the death of a child in my own life. We all did everything possible to make her well. Even if I believed in Holistic medicine, I would be at Emerge in a New York minute.

If a parent cannot make good decisions for a child then that child needs a child advocate to protect his rights....it is only fair to the child. It is his little life at stake.

Good gawd my spelling. I haven't slept for two bloody night.