Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
Date
2020-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deafness in an adult is detrimental to communication and is therefore uncomfortable and debilitating not only for the deaf person, but also for those interacting with him/her. By contrast, for a child younger than 3 years of age, deafness has a profound effect on his/her global neurological development which,later in life,may lead to social isolation,poor self-image, learning problems with reduced academic achievement and eventually limited vocational choices. If the deafness is not diagnosed and treated promptly, the child will suffer its consequences for the rest of his/her life. Congenital, severe and profoundly deaf children can be successfully rehabilitated with Cochlear Implants,only if the diagnosis of deafness is made early, preferably before 6 months of age.Early diagnosis of deafness in a child is therefore imperative.Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) can identify those newborn babies with a possible congenital deafness and enables the parents of such a child to confirm the diagnosis with additional tests before the child is three months old.
NHS is a painless procedure with a low probability of harm. Non-diagnosis and not treating a baby with congenital deafness has a high probability of severe harm to both baby and parents, as well as the extended family.Quality of life for both the baby and the parents will be negatively affected if the congenital deafness is diagnosed and treated only later in the child’s life.Therefore, we may have a moral obligation to do universal NHS, i.e. screen all newborn babies for possible hearing loss.NHS assists the parents of a congenitally deaf child to have access to a CI for their child, when the child will benefit the most from the procedure, i.e. as soon after 6 months of age as possible. The availability and use of CIs are however viewed as a threat by the Deaf community. Deciding whether to have a CI for one’s child or letting the child become part of the Deaf culture is a moral dilemma that will be discussed. The moral issues surrounding the election for deafness in one’s future child and the effect CIs have on this situation, will also be discussed.
Deafness in children is mostly caused by infectious diseases which can be prevented with vaccination. Vaccination is not only beneficial to the recipient, but also creates herd immunity that protects those children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.Recently, especially in developed countries, there has been a trend towards not vaccinating one’s child, but the result is that relatively uncommon diseases, like measles,as well as their complications of deafness,are re-surfacing.Applying the Principle of Least Restrictive Alternative to an Intervention Ladder,it can be argued that compulsory or mandatory vaccination is necessary to keep the number of non-vaccinated children as small as possible and thus protect herd immunity. Everyone capable of being vaccinated, should do so, to compensate for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and can therefore not contribute to herd immunity. Compulsory vaccination may therefore also be morally justified by applying the Principle of Fairness.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadpleeg teks vir opsomming
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadpleeg teks vir opsomming
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Cochlear implant, UCTD, Deafness in children -- Ethics, Newborn infants -- Hearing -- Medical Screening, Moral Philosophy