Case of Ben Garrett: Cleft Lip and Palate[1]
Ben Garrett is an otherwise healthy 15-month-old boy born
with a cleft lip and palate. His mother
left when he was just a few weeks old and Jordan has since been living with his
single father, Mr. Garrett. While he
received he did receive standard vaccinations as an infant, Jordan did not
pursue any other medical care for his son.
When Ben’s doctors brought up corrective surgery, Mr. Garrett would put
off the conversation, saying “he’d think about it”.
Typically, corrective surgery is
done between 6 weeks and 9 months to maximize the child’s ability to develop
normal speech patterns. Ben has already
demonstrated speech difficulties, alongside other common effects of cleft lip
and palate, including repeated ear infections and poor growth. Doctors agree that while not ideal, Ben’s
clinical prognosis without surgery is neither life-threatening nor severely
disabling. He will, however, probably always have a noticeable speech
impediment and have some minor trouble feeding.
Concerned the child will soon be
too old for surgery to have beneficial effects on Ben’s speech and growth,
Ben’s physicians re-approach Mr. Garrett about corrective surgery at 15
months. This time Mr. Garrett refuses
outright, saying that prayer is much more effective at healing Ben than
invasive surgery. The risks of surgery are minimal to moderate
with the only significant risk being a possible adverse reaction to anesthesia
(5% chance of happening, but if it happens, it could be fatal for Ben).
Should
the state intervene and mandate corrective surgery for Ben?
