Children's Autonomy: a Medical Dilemma

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Children’s Autonomy: A Medical Dilemma The medical field is one of the fastest growing and quickest changing fields in the United States. While advances have been made in technology and research, one issue has been left virtually untouched: children’s autonomy. Autonomy is the right of patients to make decisions about their medical care without their health care provider trying to influence the decision. Patient autonomy does allow for health care providers to educate the patient but does not allow the health care provider to make the decision for the patient. This definition only pertains to adults or emancipated minors; it does not allow for mature minors to make their own medical choices. This is where the dilemma evolves: when should a child be able to make his or her own medical care decisions? While controversial, pediatric patients’ rights should be decided based upon autonomy, age and maturity, along with legal and ethical standards. The easiest way to define autonomy is the patient’s right to decide what happens to his or her own body. As stated by Derish and Heuvel, “the long standing assumption made by society…that parents are natural and obvious surrogate medical decision makers…nor does it allow for any degree of autonomy for the mature child…the adults right to refuse medical treatment is ‘gradually becoming absolute,’ minors continue to be denied medical autonomy” (110). This statement proves that children are still denied the right to govern their own bodies. Even if they understand the implications of the procedure because of a higher maturity level, the decision is still left to their parents. Another factor that influences a child’s autonomy is healthcare professionals. Nurses spend a great deal of time with both the patient and their family, and become an information source for both. Lesley Lowes states, “due to the undeniable

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