Jehovah Witnesses are a group of individuals that branch from many ethnic backgrounds but are united by one common objective. That objective is to worship Jehovah, who is said to be the God of the Bible and Creator of all things(site). Throughout the years controversy in the medical field with this culture has risen tremendously. All Jehovah Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood, white cells, and platelet and plasma transfusions (Orr 2007). The refusal of these life saving medical treatments are based on their religious beliefs. Jehovah Witnesses refuse blood transfusions saying the bible states in both the Old and New Testament that believers should refrain from blood(site). The debate revolves around whether it is ethical to withhold
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(Withholding and Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in children, Hugo Wellesley and Ian A Jenkins) Others argue that there are situations where it is considered ethical to withhold treatment. The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health have five guidelines to identify scenarios where treatment can be stopped or withheld. These include: the “brain dead child”, permanent vegetative state, the no chance situation, the no purpose situation and the unbearable situation. (Wellesley & Jenkins) In discussing the situation of the children of Jehovah Witness’s, the debate is not whether a child’s life would be improved by treatment. There have been numerous cases where the child has simple health issues that would be easily alleviated with a blood transfusion. In addition, the Department of Health has issued the following statement; “Where children are not competent to make treatment decisions for themselves, parents have the legal and moral authority to make decisions on behalf of their children, but these decisions must be guided by the child’s best interest.” (Wellesley & Jenkins) The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has put forward a list of some of the components of what is considered to be in a child’s best interest in regards to medical treatment. These include the degree of pain inherent from a procedure, future benefits of the procedure and whether treatment would significantly lengthen the child’s life. (Wellesley & Jenkins) Blood transfusions are considered to be safe. The majority of the cases regarding Jehovah Witness’s children refusing transfusions involve medical problems that could easily be cured with a full life expectancy after
(Withholding and Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in children, Hugo Wellesley and Ian A Jenkins) Others argue that there are situations where it is considered ethical to withhold treatment. The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health have five guidelines to identify scenarios where treatment can be stopped or withheld. These include: the “brain dead child”, permanent vegetative state, the no chance situation, the no purpose situation and the unbearable situation. (Wellesley & Jenkins) In discussing the situation of the children of Jehovah Witness’s, the debate is not whether a child’s life would be improved by treatment. There have been numerous cases where the child has simple health issues that would be easily alleviated with a blood transfusion. In addition, the Department of Health has issued the following statement; “Where children are not competent to make treatment decisions for themselves, parents have the legal and moral authority to make decisions on behalf of their children, but these decisions must be guided by the child’s best interest.” (Wellesley & Jenkins) The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has put forward a list of some of the components of what is considered to be in a child’s best interest in regards to medical treatment. These include the degree of pain inherent from a procedure, future benefits of the procedure and whether treatment would significantly lengthen the child’s life. (Wellesley & Jenkins) Blood transfusions are considered to be safe. The majority of the cases regarding Jehovah Witness’s children refusing transfusions involve medical problems that could easily be cured with a full life expectancy after