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Legal Euthanasia For Disabled Newborn Babies?

Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology: Why Not Legalize The Euthanasia For Disabled Newborn Babies?!

Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology has suggested that permitting doctors the euthanasia of babies with severe disabilities would be an effective procedure and has requested further discussions on the topic.

The proposal was made after the evaluation of figures revealing that more and more seriously disabled newborn babies are brought to the world with the support of medical advances.

The college insisted that the procedure will spear numerous families from emotional and financial waste. It was also said that allowing euthanasia of disabled babies will reduce the number of late and risky abortions.

"A very disabled child can mean a disabled family. If life-shortening and deliberate interventions to kill infants were available, they might have an impact on obstetric decision-making, even preventing some late abortions, as some parents would be more confident about continuing a pregnancy and taking a risk on outcome," stated the colleague in a submission addressed to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

"We would like the working party to think more radically about non-resuscitation, withdrawal of treatment decisions, the best interests test, and active euthanasia, as they are ways of widening the management options available to the sickest of newborns," the college added.

However, there are many voices saying that the college's proposal is immoral.

"Euthanasia for disabled newborns tells society that being born disabled is a bad thing. If we introduced euthanasia for certain conditions, it would tell adults with those conditions that they are worth less than other members of society," argued Simone Aspis, a representative of the British Council of Disabled People, in a statement to the Sunday Times.

The euthanasia of newborn babies suffering from severe health problems is legal in New Zealand.