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Surgery to stunt girl's growth raises questions

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 5, 2007

CHICAGO - In a case fraught with ethical questions, the parents of a severely mentally and physically disabled child have stunted her growth to keep their little "pillow angel" a manageable and more portable size.

The 9-year-old girl had her uterus and breast tissue removed and received doses of hormones to halt her growth. She is now 4-foot-5; her parents say she would otherwise probably reach 5-foot-6.

The case has captured attention nationwide, with some ethicists decrying the parents' actions as perverse and akin to eugenics.

The case involves a girl identified only as Ashley. Shortly after birth, her doctors diagnosed static encephalopathy, or severe brain damage.

Her condition has left her in an infant state, unable to sit up, roll over, or walk or talk. Her parents say she will never get better. She had surgery in July 2004 and recently completed the hormone treatment. She weighs about 65 pounds, and is about 13 inches shorter than she would be as an adult, says her parents' blog.

[Last modified January 5, 2007, 01:00:18]