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Harlequin babies.

RandomtaskRandomtask Registered User regular
edited April 2007 in Debate and/or Discourse
Edit: image removed, forgot the medical images rule. Look it up if you really want to know.

Copied this description from elsewhere:
"skin: extremely thick scale encases the entire fetus; deep fissures in scale develop after birth; thick scale causes eversion of the lips (eclabium) and eyelids (ectropion); ears and digits may appear malformed, owing in part to the thick scale that envelops them

Associated findings: in some, none; short stature is common in survivors; neurologic, kidney and lung abnormalities have been described

Age at first appearance: birth

Long-term course: premature birth common; early death may occur from complications of prematurity and/or constriction caused by the thick scale, from infection or from dehydration; survivors have the appearance of lamellar ichthyosis or congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma

Diagnostic tests: skin biopsy for electron microscopy is highly suggestive

Abnormal gene: unknown; may have several causes"

Now, this particular birth defect is nearly always fatal, with survivors living for perhaps a few days in most cases.

However, care has improved, and more individuals are surviving this defect into adulthood.

Is this a medical victory? What does this say of evolution? Why would you not want the child to live? Why WOULD you want the child to live?

The discussion is specifically about this defect, but mention of others would obviously be valid and pertinent to the discussion.

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.
- Soren Kierkegaard
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    Apothe0sisApothe0sis Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    First of all, it's not even apparent that it is genetic.

    Second of all, it's not going to make any significant inroads into the population even if every harlequin baby survives. The number of non-harlequins reproducing greatly exceeds the number of harlequins who could potentially now reproduce. Not only that harlequinism in no way increases reproductive fitness so there's going to be no selective pressure towards them.

    Conclusion, the "effect on evolution" is exactly zero.

    Apothe0sis on
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    ElJeffeElJeffe Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited April 2007
    I can easily see why someone might not want the child to live. It's excruciatingly painful, and the odds of meaningful survival are tiny. The average child born with this defect will come into the world screaming in agony, exist in a tortured delirium for a little while as the pain is mostly dulled through copious medication, and then exit the world shortly thereafter. Its entire existence would be nothing but pain, terror, and uneasy sleep. I don't know if I could put my child through that on the small chance that he lives long enough to experience something other than shrieking horror.

    ElJeffe on
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    RookRook Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I think people should bear in mind that theres differences in severities of the case. There's been a couple of papers published about teenagers with harlequin ichthyosis and whilst saying it's not very pleasant would be a mild understatement it's not like it's an abject nightmare of horrificly unimaginable proportions. As with most rare conditions you really have to look on it on a case by case basis.

    Rook on
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    ElJeffeElJeffe Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited April 2007
    That's true, as well. I was more exploring the cases where there was clearly a justifiable reason for the parents to desire euthanasia. If the chances for survival are good, or the case is less severe, then that changes things.

    ElJeffe on
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