NATION : Medical Care of Disabled Babies Hit
The denial of food, water and lifesaving medical care to babies with disabilities is a “significant civil rights problem” demanding greater supervision of doctors, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission said today.
A report approved by seven of the eight commission members said hospital committees and state and federal agencies all have failed to adequately enforce the 1984 Child Abuse Amendments, which require care except in cases when it would be futile or inhumane or when a baby is chronically comatose.
The 513-page report, released after four years of work, charged that doctors are usually “the prime movers” in denying care even when parental approval is obtained, and said they often give advice on the basis of misinformation about the quality of life for the disabled and mentally retarded.
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