socialmedian: Baby RB living 'on a knife edge', doctor tells right-to-die hearing

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Baby RB living 'on a knife edge', doctor tells right-to-die hearing

Source: guardian.co.uk Society

Nov 03, 2009

Summary

• Operation would not help child, says paediatrician
• Parents take life-support dispute to high court

A doctor treating a severely disabled baby whose parents disagree over whether to remove his life support and let him die told the high court today that the boy's existence was "on a knife edge".

The paediatrician, who supervises the care of the one-year-old, known for legal reasons as Baby RB, said the boy was among the most severely disabled children he had looked after.

Dr F said that Baby RB's neuromuscular condition severely limited his ability to breath and move, which meant he was not equipped to survive without constant, intrusive and painful medical care.

"I find it very difficult and challenging caring for children on a daily basis who are as disabled as RB," he said. "To exist in this world you need some basic functions. You have to cough, to have gag reflex, to breathe and to respond to painful stimulation, and, in my view, RB has not adequately demonstrated any of these."

He told the court: "It troubles me that I am committing him on a daily basis to

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