Available online
Description
This programme is about the moral, legal and ethical issues surrounding the detection of a disability before birth and the preservation of the life of newly-born disabled children. There have recen...tly been startling advances in perinatal biochemistry, resulting in doctors being able to detect many different disabilities, such as Down's Syndrome and spina bifida, during pregnancy. But such technological knowledge raises profound questions about whether the parents should be informed and whether such knowledge should be acted on. In this programme, John Dawson, Chairman of the British Medical Ethical Committee, explains current BMA practice and guidelines: Prof. John Lorber explains his contribution to drafting those guidelines; Lynette Burros, the mother of a Down's child, and Micheline Mason, a severely physically disabled woman, outline their opinions on "doctors as murderers".
This programme is about the moral, legal and ethical issues surrounding the detection of a disability before birth and the preservation of the life of newly-born disabled children. There have recen...tly been startling advances in perinatal biochemistry, resulting in doctors being able to detect many different disabilities, such as Down's Syndrome and spina bifida, during pregnancy. But such technological knowledge raises profound questions about whether the parents should be informed and whether such knowledge should be acted on. In this programme, John Dawson, Chairman of the British Medical Ethical Committee, explains current BMA practice and guidelines: Prof. John Lorber explains his contribution to drafting those guidelines; Lynette Burros, the mother of a Down's child, and Micheline Mason, a severely physically disabled woman, outline their opinions on "doctors as murderers".
| Module code and title: | E241, Special needs in education |
|---|---|
| Item code: | E241; 07 |
| Recording date: | 1982-08-20 |
| First transmission date: | 09-09-1982 |
| Published: | 1982 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OUDA web pages. |
| Duration: | 00:18:37 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Nick Brenton |
| Contributors: | Tony Booth; Micheline Mason; Lynette Burrows; Ian Kennedy; John Dawson; John Lorber |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Abortion; Amniocentesis; British Medical Association; Down's Syndrome; Disabled; Prenatal screening; Spina Bifida |
| Master spool number: | TMK33952H468 |
| Production number: | TMK33952H468 |
| Available to public: | no |
