While we're on the topic of pediatricians...
I've been dying to ask this question ever since I joined the booj.
You have a kiddo who is neurologically (cognitively, developmentally) totally normal; however, he or she has a craniofacial malformation. Not just a cleft lip/cleft palate, but something really marked.
The pediatrician tells you that it's best to start with surgeries early on in order to have normal feeding and speech development, and I assume you do (if not, tell me about why not in the comments) and all of the functional issues get more or less repaired; however, your child still has very extreme cosmetic effects.
The medical team is planning several more surgeries for reconstruction for cosmetic issues and/or minor functional issues (e.g. clarity of speech); however, your kid decides that they do not want anymore treatment. Assuming the outcome will be worse if they get the same surgery down the road & assuming you're legally allowed to force them to get surgery without their assent, do you? What role does their age play? Does it matter how "normal" appearing their face is? Does it matter if the reason that they don't want surgery is because:
A) They want the time in the summer to hang out with their friends rather than being post-operative
B) They don't want the pain of the surgery
C) They resent the surgeries that they've had in the past and think you just want them to get the surgery because you think that they're "ugly"
D) Something else
So that we're all on the same page, I posted a textbook picture of Golden-Har (the most common similar type of condition) under the cut
You have a kiddo who is neurologically (cognitively, developmentally) totally normal; however, he or she has a craniofacial malformation. Not just a cleft lip/cleft palate, but something really marked.
The pediatrician tells you that it's best to start with surgeries early on in order to have normal feeding and speech development, and I assume you do (if not, tell me about why not in the comments) and all of the functional issues get more or less repaired; however, your child still has very extreme cosmetic effects.
The medical team is planning several more surgeries for reconstruction for cosmetic issues and/or minor functional issues (e.g. clarity of speech); however, your kid decides that they do not want anymore treatment. Assuming the outcome will be worse if they get the same surgery down the road & assuming you're legally allowed to force them to get surgery without their assent, do you? What role does their age play? Does it matter how "normal" appearing their face is? Does it matter if the reason that they don't want surgery is because:
A) They want the time in the summer to hang out with their friends rather than being post-operative
B) They don't want the pain of the surgery
C) They resent the surgeries that they've had in the past and think you just want them to get the surgery because you think that they're "ugly"
D) Something else
So that we're all on the same page, I posted a textbook picture of Golden-Har (the most common similar type of condition) under the cut