In a message dated 12/31/98 7:53:34 PM Central Standard Time,
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<<  As I recall not too long ago it was standard practice to operate
 on babies (i.e., open heart surgery) with out anesthetic *because babies
 can't feel it*.  Just because most folks can't consciously remember
 their infancy is no reason for it to be OK to be brutal to infants. >>

Well, it was not too long ago that anesthetic agents presented greater risk to
the infant than what procedure was being done to them.  In pediatrics, we
don't like the cure to be worse and/or a greater risk than what we are trying
to cure!
It is easy to look back and criticize past medical practices in the light of
current knowledge and technologies.
Perhaps we should be as critical of neolithic birthing & medical practices
when over 50% of infants born died before they reached one year of age.  But
hey, it was natural even though fatal at times.  Medicine and medical
procedures may seem cruel at times in our "civilized" thinking; however,
nature can be much more brutal than we care to admit.
Andrew MD
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