Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Section 1 Core issues in clinical pediatric ethics
- Section 2 Ethical issues at the beginning of life: perinatology and neonatology
- Section 3 When a child dies: ethical issues at the end of life
- Section 4 Ethical issues posed by advances in medical technology and science
- 25 Minors as recipients and donors in solid organ transplantation
- 26 Enhancement technologies and children
- 27 Cochlear implants and deaf children
- 28 Ethical issues in the treatment of pediatric patients with disorders of sex development
- 29 Sterilizing procedures in minors with cognitive disabilities
- 30 Parental requests for intervention in children with lethal conditions
- 31 Genetic testing and screening of minors
- 32 The introduction of innovative technology into practice
- 33 Human subjects research involving children
- Section 5 Children, public health, and justice
- Section 6 Special topics in pediatric ethics
- Index
- References
26 - Enhancement technologies and children
from Section 4 - Ethical issues posed by advances in medical technology and science
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Section 1 Core issues in clinical pediatric ethics
- Section 2 Ethical issues at the beginning of life: perinatology and neonatology
- Section 3 When a child dies: ethical issues at the end of life
- Section 4 Ethical issues posed by advances in medical technology and science
- 25 Minors as recipients and donors in solid organ transplantation
- 26 Enhancement technologies and children
- 27 Cochlear implants and deaf children
- 28 Ethical issues in the treatment of pediatric patients with disorders of sex development
- 29 Sterilizing procedures in minors with cognitive disabilities
- 30 Parental requests for intervention in children with lethal conditions
- 31 Genetic testing and screening of minors
- 32 The introduction of innovative technology into practice
- 33 Human subjects research involving children
- Section 5 Children, public health, and justice
- Section 6 Special topics in pediatric ethics
- Index
- References
Summary
Case narrative
Kyle is a 4-year-old patient in your primary care practice. He is the third son born to Dara and Max, a couple you know well because you have been their family’s pediatrician for 12 years. Dara and Max are both highly educated professionals who consistently emphasize dedication to school work and scholastic achievement in their parenting. Kyle’s parents raise no concerns about Kyle’s physical health but they express frustration about his behavior. As compared with their other sons, Dara and Max feel that Kyle is less able to focus on “educational activities” such as puzzles and books; he seems to favor more active play and prefers activities where he can run and climb. He can be “very oppositional” when they try to redirect him towards “educational activities.” Dara and Max worry that Kyle’s behavior may indicate attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although his preschool teachers do not suspect ADHD and express no concerns about Kyle’s behavior at school, Kyle’s parents request a trial of Ritalin. Dara says “Kyle is so unlike our other sons. I just want to see if the medicine can help him focus and behave differently.” You respond by asking what she means by “differently,” to which Max replies “We would like him to behave … better.”
The quest for “better”: defining enhancement
The desires of Dara and Max may resonate with many parents. Many large and small decisions of parenthood are usually guided by the parents’ desire to help their children live better lives. Parents are expected to maximize their children’s opportunities for success by making thoughtful choices for their children in the home, in the classroom, in the pediatrician’s office, and in all domains of life.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Clinical Ethics in PediatricsA Case-Based Textbook, pp. 148 - 153Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011