From the time I was a wee lass, I’ve been interested in the contribution women have made to science. One of my favorites is Dr. Alice Hamilton, the “mother” of occupational medicine in America, whom I came upon when studying for my master’s degree in the subject. What a joy it was to include her contribution in my Leaders in Public Health series.
Profiles in Public Health Leadership: Dr. Alice Hamilton - the “Mother” of OSHA.
As “motherhood,” as we know it, continues to morph, and science rockets with more incredible advances and options, parental issues become more complex: More knowledge – more choices – but less guidance, fewer role models, and minimal examples of what works -- and what doesn’t. Not only has the law not caught up with science, but neither has the ethical debate. Collating perspectives that seem to have faded in the blinding light of the dazzling scientific delights du jour – allowed me to remind myself (and hopefully others) that we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves and that the essence of humanity and age-old precepts of biology need to be out lodestars.
PART II: Smart-Kid Creation – Parents vs. the Pros
Science is a beacon; that’s good and bad. Advances can illuminate new possibilities and often do so in a narrow-beamed fashion. The law must view these advances holistically, yet integrating scientific advances with ancient legal lore becomes an ever-increasing challenge. The new possibilities for transgender children are seen as a boon for teen health – but the law (and perhaps society) is wrestling with possibly outdated concepts for assessing a crucial ingredient to treatment: informed consent. Lawyers (and judges), perhaps poisoned by the Dunning-Kruger effect) have no compunction telling doctors how to practice medicine. All the while, there is a legal divide regarding the age of competence for children to make decisions. For example, if a child is competent to decide its gender, should that child be held to the standard of adult for sentencing in a murder case? ACSH provides a platform to air these conundra, for which I am grateful.
