Ending the Life of a Newborn - Essay Example

Ending the Life of a NewbornWhat is the Groningen Protocol?The Groningen protocol is a guideline that sets out procedures to be used by physicians when ending the life of suffering infants for whom there is no way of relieving pain (Lindermann and Verkerk, 2008). The protocol also serves a number of purposes among them being to assist infants who are suffering from illnesses which have no cure or pain relief and those who cannot communicate with decision makers. It is also noted that the protocol also assists in preventing people with ill motives from committing illegal acts such as strangling suffering infants with the aim of ending their lives without permission.

The protocol proposes that the decision to terminate the life of an infant is supposed be made in conjunction with a doctor who provides the guardian or parent of the infant with relevant medical information, and the doctor can then proceed and end the life of the infant in a humane manner, if need be.What groups are used in the Groningen Protocol?Kaczor (2011) reveals three groups on whom Groningen protocol are used. These include the following:Group 1: This consists of babies who are severely handicapped with no possibility of surviving.

This group includes those who are born of fatal diseases like severe lung and kidney hypoplasia and are put onto support immediately after birth as their doctors establishes the extent of damageGroup 2: This group consists of babies who have a chance of surviving after a period of intensive treatment, but expectation pertaining to their future conditions is very grim (Kaczor, 2011). Kaczor notes that these are composed of children with extensive organ damage caused by lack of oxygen or those with severe brain abnormalities.

Group 3:-This group consists of seriously disabled infants with the possibility of surviving into adulthood with adverse conditions leading to a lot of suffering (Lindermann and Verkerk, 2008).What problems exist with the protocol?The application of the protocol has been accused of several problems associated. Firstly, the protocol is accused of failing to differentiate with clinical precision between infants whose prognosis of death is certain and those who have high chances of continuing to live (Achilles, 2011).

Secondly the protocol has a problem since it aims primarily at infants with spina bifida, many of whom have the possibility of leading an almost normal life (Lindermann and Verkerk, 2008). The third problem is that the protocol permits parents to commit infanticide as a means of relieving themselves from the unwanted burden of care. Fourthly, the protocol allows physicians to determine their own action’s morality. The other problem linked to the protocol is the fact that it gives the physician absolute permission of deciding what is an acceptable quality of life.

Lindermann and Verkerk (2008) also notes that the protocol consents to infanticide instead of preventing spina bifida or promoting its detection at earlier stages through fatal ultrasound, followed by abortion. Moreover, the protocol only provides absolutely procedural response to problems to determining subjective suffering. Finally, the protocol provides an incoherent criterion used for deciding whether to terminate the life of an infant since it requires the infant to experience unbearable suffering, without taking into account what the future holds for such infants.

AlternativesThe protocol is a total breach of medical ethics since the active ending of an infant’s life even if it is unbearable is a violation of a person’s right to life. As such, it is better that other alternatives be used instead of using the Groningen protocol to actively kill innocent babies. The alternatives include:Early detection followed by abortionInstead of using the protocol, physicians should use abortion as an alternative. This is by ensuring that proper procedures are established to ensure that poor health conditions of infants are detected early enough using fatal ultrasound device.

Once the condition is determined to be one that is able to cause suffering after birth, then doctors be allowed to perform an abortion before the baby is born. This will help relieve the parents and the expected baby from the burden associated with poor heath that may not have pain relief or cure. This applies especially to those who fall under group 1.Use of rehabilitation and care facilitiesInfant falling under group 2 and 3 with chances of survival to adulthood should be taken to rehabilitation and care centers where proper medical care is provided them instead of allowing them to stay with their parents.

This will help reduce the burden on the parents minimizing the possibility of terminating their lives through Groningen Protocol.ReferencesAchilles, D. (2011). Examining the Groningen protocol: Comparing the treatment of terminally-ill infants in the Netherlands with treatment given in the United States and England. Achilles_macros_8.8.11. Vol. 28, No. 4. Pp. 796-819.Kaczor, C. R. (2011). The ethics of abortion: Women’s rights, human life and the question of justice. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Lindermann, H., & Verkerk, M. (2008). Ending the life of a newborn: the Groningen protocol: The Hastings Center Report. Hastings-on-Hudson: ProQuest. Jan/Feb 2008. Vol. 38, Issue. 1; pp. 42-53.