> Whatever the reason for refusal, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that “clinicians have a legal and ethical responsibility to question and, if necessary, to contest” parental medical decisions that “put the patient at significant risk of serious harm.”7 Consistent with this recommendation, the largest study of its kind found that most oncologists reject parental refusals when treatment has a 33% or greater chance of success.2

i sympathize with their frustration but letting doctors override bodily autonomy is a line i'm not willing to permit

@icedquinn children don't really have bodily autonomy, in this case it's either parents or doctors overriding it. Children are people that shouldn't suffer from more stupid decisions of their parents, so this is in line with the rest of how they're treated.

@Amikke parents take care of raising the children though. the state doesnt, therefore the state has no right to them.

the whole industry of declaring disagreeing with institutions as child abuse needs to be shot in the head.

@icedquinn this is a hard topic, as giving institutions control is dangerous but leaving it entirely with parents can be tragic. There are some things nearly everyone agrees on that parents shouldn't be able to ruin. Forgoing education at all is one of them, forgoing early treatment with good success rate for a lethal problem at least comes close. Leaving a child to die a painful death because a parent is an idiot and will attempt to treat cancer with MMC is not good.
Children aren't their parents' property and it makes sense that some of their rights as humans and citizens will be defended even against them.