The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities debated for several years about whether it should adopt positions and, if so, on what range of issues. The membership recently approved an amendment to its bylaws permitting the Society to adopt positions on matters related to academic freedom and professionalism but not on substantive moral and policy issues. This resolution is problematic for a number of reasons, including the lack of a categorical difference between these types of claims and the Society's inability (...) to speak on behalf of patients and research subjects. The implementation of the amendment also raises several issues. The Society will need to refrain from speaking too specifically and to articulate the responsibilities of its members. If the Society fails to address these concerns, it runs the risk of denigrating its public image and that of the profession. (shrink)
To the Editor: In the November–December 2010 issue, the Seattle Growth Attenuation and Ethics Working Group (“Navigating Growth Attenuation in Children with Profound Disabilities”) analyzed the arguments for and against growth attenuation in children with permanent, profound intellectual disabilities and identified conditions under which its use may be ethically acceptable. The working group’s conclusion is based on a particular construction of the issue that is not always justified. It focuses on the possibility that growth attenuation will increase children’s involvement in (...) family social and recreational activities. The critique of the biomedical model of disability, however, highlights the potential gap between .. (shrink)
International child rights law has the potential to change the way children are viewed and engaged by all social actors. It provides a child-centered perspective on all areas of children’s lives, including research with neonates. It differs from some bioethical perspectives by clearly articulating affirmative obligations owed to children and requiring rigorous monitoring mechanisms. The CRC’s focus on affirmative obligations and establishment of monitoring mechanisms provide additional useful elements that are not present in the dominant form of American pediatric bioethics.An (...) in-depth introduction to child rights and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child is presented by Lansdown.. (shrink)
