Chapter 6: The Dilemma of Impaired Infants
Case Presentation: The Agony of Bente Hindriks uses information from Sure Turton, “In the
Baby’s Last Seconds,” The Times (London), April 25, 2005; John Schwartz, “When Torment Is Baby’s
Destiny, Euthanasia is Defended,” The New York Times, March 10, 2005; Gregory Crouch, “A Crusade
Born of a Suffering Infant’s Cry,” The New York Times, March 19, 2005; University Medical Center
Social Context: The Dilemma of Extreme Prematurity uses information from the following New
York Times articles: Denise Grady, “Very Premature Babies Found Still at Risk,” July 20, 2005; Nicholas
Bakalar, “Achievement of Preemies Found to be Near Normal,” February 28, 2006; Elisabeth Rosenthal,
“As More Tiny Infants Live, Choices and Burdens Grow,” September 29, 1991; Gina Kolata; “Parents of
Tiny Infants Find Care Choices Are Not Theirs,” September 30, 1991; Jane E. Brody, “A Quality of Life
Case Presentation: Baby Owens—Down Syndrome and Duodenal Atresia draws on M.
Gustafson, “Mongolism, Parental Desires, and the Right to Life,” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 16
(1973): 529–557; as well as R. S. Duff and A.G.M. Campbell, “Moral and Ethical Dilemmas in the Special-
Care Nursery,” New England Journal of Medicine 289 (1973): 75–78.
Information on the Ashley treatment discussed in the Readings can be found in the following two
articles from the Journal of Medical Ethics: N. Tan and I. Brassington, “Agency, Duties and the ‘Ashley
Treatment,’” 35, no. 11 (November 2009): 658–61 and S.D. Edwards, “The Ashley Treatment: A Step Too
Far, or Not Far Enough?” 34, no. 5 (May 2008): 341–3. Also see L. Terry and A. Campbell, “Forever a
Child: Analysis of the Ashley Case,” Paediatric Nursing 20, no.2 (March 2008): 21–5; and R. Coombes,
“Ashley X: A Difficult Moral Choice,” BMJ 334 (January 2007): 72–3.