The Ashley Effect

The story of a severely mentally and physically disabled Seattle girl known only as Ashley has rippled through the public conscience in recent weeks. Ashley's parents had a group of procedures they call "The Ashley Treatment" performed on the child to stunt her growth and remove her breast tissue and uterus so that she could be at a small enough size to allow her to continue to be part of the family. They say it is for her good so that she can be loved and cuddled and cared for, but others say it is just a matter of convenience for the parents, who would have a hard time dealing with a larger disabled child. Either way, this particular case has raised the discussion on where the line is with genetic alteration, what is acceptable, what is not, when it is for convenience and when it is for the health of the child. Today on The Exchange, we discuss the many medical and ethical questions raised by this case and get your thoughts as well.

Laura's guests are Dr. Sam Casella, Section Chief for Pediatric Endocrinology at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School and Dr. Carl Cooley, Medical Director for Crotched Mountain, Developmental Pediatrician and Former Director of the Dartmouth Center for Genetics and Child Development.