Do you know how they let them die? Well let me tell you about aborted babies that survive delivery, some of them last a few days outside the womb, and it is unethical to kill them by denying them water, however they are denied food, and slowly drift into a comotose state, and then die. This can take hours, days sometimes, which is truely disgusting in my opinion.

It is the same with micropremature births isn't it? They keep the hydrated, but don't feed them, until they drift into the afterlife.

I can understand how if there is certainly absolutely no hope for a baby, how you would want to end it's life if they were in pain, but killing them without giving them a chance, as parents that should be their choice not DR's not curbside yea or nay sayers, certainly not someone who has chosen to take the responsibility to make the baby and has no rights or claim to guardianship of the child.

The question is if you are going to try to have kids, why would you not give that child every opportunity to give it a go in life regardless of their statistical chances?

[quote[Do you know how they let them die? Well let me tell you about aborted babies that survive delivery, some of them last a few days outside the womb, and it is unethical to kill them by denying them water, however they are denied food, and slowly drift into a comotose state, and then die. This can take hours, days sometimes, which is truely disgusting in my opinion.

It is the same with micropremature births isn't it? They keep the hydrated, but don't feed them, until they drift into the afterlife.

No, that is not how they do it at all. None of this has ever been about unwanted children. I also find abortion past the first trimester deplorable. Preemies born before 22 weeks have no suckling reflex yet. If they are allowed to die, the vent is removed, the feeding tube stays in place, both food and water are givin. They aren't starved. If the infant can survive on his own in that simplicity, then the preemie will.

Hope is realitive. Noone said anything about killing. Sometimes we have to rely on our doctors to help us with these choices, hense the artical, it's best to be informed before it happens so if it ever happens to you, you have a good firm idea in your head about what you want to do, and can find a doctor based on your belifes and not mine or anyone elses.

Thank you Little Whip

"If you disagree with this, ask yourself why we euthanize our beloved pets when their lives become endless moments of misery...."

Because pets are animals. Ask yourself why I'm having a steak for lunch, and not a someone's liver with some fava beans.

Better yet, ask yourself where the current trend of estimating viability and imposed standards of 'suffering' will lead. They're paying $2k a pop for organs in Asia right now. I wonder how many they get for free?

The bottom line, it's not your choice to make, it's the choice of the parents. John did the right thing in choosing to give all 3 the chance, but making the other choice he had, would have been right also, because it was his choice to make.

It is a choice and one I hope that I don't have to make.

We do it out of kindness, don't we? Or is it because "life isn't important" to us.

MLD seems to suggest that simply because a baby is a micro preemie that they should be allowed to die. The title suggests that they would pass peacefully. I just don't feel like death comes easy in any case.

Statistics told my wife and me that we would not have children. Statistics are often wrong. They are just numbers.

I wouldn’t force my view on anyone else but to suggest that because a baby is born early that no measures be taken to preserve its life is a horrible thought.

By the way John have you guys seen a 4D ultrasound image of your babies, do they use the Siemens/Acuson Ultrasound machine at your medical provider place?

We didn't opt for the 4D. There was no medical reason for it and insurance wouldn't pay. In addition these babies have seen their fare share of the ultrasounds and now that we would really be able to see some detail they are all smushed in there.

I'm done with you and this article. You refuse to actually read what I take the time to write. You have obviously made up your mind on certain things and are not willing to see that there is more than one side to the story.

BTW -

I can see that you havent' seen old posts of mine or understand why I blog here. I don't blog to argue, I blog to learn others positions and why, to better educate myself to others mind sets.

I don't see any declarations in your previous articles. I had read most of them before so it didn't take long to get through the rest.

Cool I was just curious since I help to build the machine and have seen the 4D feature on the Discovery channel. I hope all is well and that you guys have a great Thanksgiving, and that everything works out.

As for MLD "Noone said anything about killing" I certainly took the title of your post as a suggestion that "Let Micro Preemies die Peacefully" means the should be terminated. If you were in favor of giving them a chance then would you not write "Let micro preemies live" ?

What exactly is with your callsign here by the way "msladydeath"?
Are you a funeral director or emballmer or why carry that on the ole dogtags?

Lady Death was a comic book character. Maybe the 'Ms' part is a feminist addition. Who knows. If I had to guess the odds are better that it references that than a funeral director using such a title.

Not everyone uses a name as imaginative as "Dan"...

Yea, I can't find where I said that part either, I may have deleted it a while back though. I deleted a lot of things I didn't agree with anymore. As I said, I'm in it for the learning experiance. I have changed my mind on several topics (my welfare blog being one).

I do see your side, yet I don't, since 24, 26 or 28 weeks is not 22 or 20, or 18 weeks, which is what the discussion was ment to focus on. I hope the best for you and your wife. As I said, I have been there, done that with my now 5 year old twins, it's not easy. I even took in every word of a responce that was here and was consiquently deleted, though not by me. I was in the process of responding to it when it didn't show up anymore.

I'm not sure why you think that death can not be peaceful though. Don't people "pass away peacefully in their sleep" all the time? I know that's how my grandpa and my friend died. They fell asleep and never woke up again.

Dan ~ Death and Termination are two totally different things though. Allowing an old man to just die in his sleep would be letting him die. Stabbing him in the chest would be termiination. If you saw the research, that I tend to agree with, then the title is appropriate. Note: I did NOT call it, Killin the wee ones, or Kill them babies, or terminate the helpless, or any nonesence like that, since I don't agree with any of those statements.

I also don't agree that parents should be forced to allow their child to go through all the surgeries, and that in some instances it may be best for the family to be allowed to do what they can, and be allowed to grieve. Not everyone thinks that "to much science" is a good thing, and that sometimes nature should be allowed ot takes it's course, no matter how bad it hurts, especially on a -22 week macro preemie.

As for my nick name, I have had the Nickname Lady Death for the last 12 years, it was givin to me by a friend that though the personality of the character Lady Death was a bit indicitive of my own. I'm not morbid or violent, but In person, tend to have a rather intimidating personality (or so I'm told). The nickname has stuck. the MS in front is because Lady Death is somewhat common for chats and such so the MS personalizes it to me. I don't use my real name for chats and such, I like to live in the annonomous shadows (anyone know of a spell check program for Mozilla?)

Erm, Hell no.

I was born very premature, roughly 2 pounds, and at the far end of the premature line.

I survived, why not give them a chance to live.

~L

2 pounds is still twice as big as the preemies we have been discussing.

I'm sorry being 25, I wasn't around for the comic book age, when I was like 10 I got one of "Casper the friendly ghost", that was it, nothing against Casper, but a comic book vs a real book or The Legend of Zelda just didn't hold up.

As for preemies, I agree sometimes it's best to let nature take its course, but it should always be the parents decision what course they want their kid to take, even if it's wrong in your eyes, it is their child.

Again, I'm curious if you are willing to admit that being born with a birth defect does not automatically mean you have no meaning in your life. Not sure but don't think we ever got a response to that.

The Lady Death comics began in the mid-90's. They made an animated movie based upon it a couple of years ago.

2 pounds is still twice as big as the preemies we have been discussing.

That may be so, but still...if you knew the entire background on my birth, you might think different. But im not going to go into that.

~L

Dan, I'm 28, not that much older than ya. I already covered the second statement, and refuse the answer the last, since my answer would be nothin but my own, based on my life experiances and not science. The topic at hand was based on research and study, not just my opinion.

Baker, thanks again.