• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Plastic Surgery for Children With Down's Syndrome.

Do you support plastic surgery for children to lessen the "look" of Down's Syndrome?

  • Total voters
    22
X Factor

X Factor

Anti-Socialist
Dungeon Master
DP Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
61,606
Reaction score
32,218
Location
El Paso Strong
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Conservative
Outrage Over Parents

This is not a new story but I think the ethical issues it raises are still interesting. Could plastic surgery mean greater acceptance for a child with DS or does it actually hinder acceptance of the condition?

So, what do you think, do you support plastic surgery for children to lessen the "look" of Down's Syndrome?

Explain why or why not.
 
Last edited:
That's horrifying. It doesn't benefit the person with Downs in any way. It just makes them "prettier" to the rest of us.

It is no harder to adjust to the way people with Downs look than it is to adjust to someone with a different skin color. People would be losing their minds if someone proposed black people should have skin lightening to improve "acceptance" of black people.

In addition to that, there's a major consent issue going on. The level of intellectual impairment in people with Downs is widely variable, but there are many who would not be able to give consent under the law even as adults. To subject children or significantly impaired adults with Downs to this sort of painful, unnecessary surgery just because their caretakers think they look funny is completely wrong.
 
I really don't know how I feel about this issue. I know many downs syndrome people through my work with various groups for people with disabilities. Their varying levels of functionality would certainly play into the decision. I am leaning toward saying this should be acceptable. People with Downs are not unaware of their "looks" and how others look. They have a desire to fit in just like anyone else. This is a tough call for me.
 
MistressNomad said:
That's horrifying. It doesn't benefit the person with Downs in any way. It just makes them "prettier" to the rest of us.

It is no harder to adjust to the way people with Downs look than it is to adjust to someone with a different skin color. People would be losing their minds if someone proposed black people should have skin lightening to improve "acceptance" of black people.

In addition to that, there's a major consent issue going on. The level of intellectual impairment in people with Downs is widely variable, but there are many who would not be able to give consent under the law even as adults. To subject children or significantly impaired adults with Downs to this sort of painful, unnecessary surgery just because their caretakers think they look funny is completely wrong.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with you necessarily, but I think an argument could be made that the parents just don't want their child pre-judged by her appearance.
 
snilloctjc said:
I really don't know how I feel about this issue. I know many downs syndrome people through my work with various groups for people with disabilities. Their varying levels of functionality would certainly play into the decision. I am leaning toward saying this should be acceptable. People with Downs are not unaware of their "looks" and how others look. They have a desire to fit in just like anyone else. This is a tough call for me.
Click to expand...

I agree, Snil. I can see both sides of this. It may even be possible that some children with Down's would not even be recognized as having it, if it wasn't for the tell-tale appearance.
 
X Factor said:
I don't disagree with you necessarily, but I think an argument could be made that the parents just don't want their child pre-judged by her appearance.
Click to expand...

I just think education is a much better solution to that than cutting people open.

I saw a play put on by people with Downs, about what it's like to live in a special needs housing facility, where many people have Downs. There were a lot of kids at the show and it was probably very education and gave a good understanding on what difficulties they face, but also how "normal" they can really be.
 
Last edited:
X Factor said:
I agree, Snil. I can see both sides of this. It may even be possible that some children with Down's would not even be recognized as having it, if it wasn't for the tell-tale appearance.
Click to expand...

Yup, there are people like that. But in such a case, they are capable of consenting to the surgery themselves. A child or a more impaired person are not.
 
If the surgery is necessary the government must support it, even with tax money. And if the parents mind it is better, than it should be happen.
 
MistressNomad said:
I just think education is a much better solution to that than cutting people open.

I saw a play put on by people with Downs, about what it's like to live in a special needs housing facility, where many people have Downs. There were a lot of kids at the show and it was probably very education and gave a good understanding on what difficulties they face, but also how "normal" they can really be.
Click to expand...

Education is always a good thing, but it doesn't really change anything for children growing up with it now. Also, no matter how much education there is, other children (a significant some but not all) will always treat someone with an obvious disability differently. If nothing else, the surgery could mean a lot less staring.
 
I wouldn't do it. I see no reason to subject my child to a major medical procedure out of vanity. My child, special needs or not, will be raised with the understanding that people are different (inside and out) and we should celebrate differences, not condemn them. If the other parents of my generation cannot do the same then my child doesn't have to associate with those children.
 
X Factor said:
Education is always a good thing, but it doesn't really change anything for children growing up with it now. Also, no matter how much education there is, other children (a significant some but not all) will always treat someone with an obvious disability differently. If nothing else, the surgery could mean a lot less staring.
Click to expand...

Give me an example of a child who has nothing other kids pick on. ;)

I got picked on for my name, my hair, my clothes, having glassess... all sorts of things. Surgery to disguise physical difference is looking at the issue through the wrong end.

EDIT: And by the by, my elementary school actually had a program for the mainstream kids to mentor a disabled kid. It was a simple program that taught us very effectively that some people are different and they're still people. If anything, I think the disabled kids got picked on less at my school.
 
Last edited:
X Factor said:
Outrage Over Parents

This is not a new story but I think the ethical issues it raises are still interesting. Could plastic surgery mean greater acceptance for a child with DS or does it actually hinder acceptance of the condition?

So, what do you think, do you support plastic surgery for children to lessen the "look" of Down's Syndrome?

Explain why or why not.
Click to expand...

Some of it was actually functional, not just appearance.
I don't feel this is wrong for some reason.
 
Last edited:
MistressNomad said:
Yup, there are people like that. But in such a case, they are capable of consenting to the surgery themselves. A child or a more impaired person are not.
Click to expand...

Ah, but in the case of those individuals, it has to be up to their guardians to make those decisions. What if a child is born with a cleft palate? Should they not get surgery for it just because they can't consent?
 
Alfons said:
If the surgery is necessary the government must support it, even with tax money. And if the parents mind it is better, than it should be happen.
Click to expand...

I don't know that I'm on board with committing tax money to something apparently so controversial.
 
X Factor said:
Ah, but in the case of those individuals, it has to be up to their guardians to make those decisions. What if a child is born with a cleft palate? Should they not get surgery for it just because they can't consent?
Click to expand...

I think they should consent to it as adults, if they want it.

Cleft palate causes actual medical problems. Surgery to correct it relieves them. Very different from cosmetic surgery to try to fit in.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
The tongue correction with DS could correct speech problems.
Click to expand...

If there's a medical reason for it, it's not cosmetic. Speech is a major component of human interaction. If speech problems can only be fixed through surgery, go for it. If speech therapy offers a high chance of comprehensive speech ability, go for that. Least invasive method possible.

The stated reason in the article for the surgery was cosmetic, to fit in. That is pretty abhorrent to me.
 
Often they are going to have more surgeries than other kids due to cardiac and intestinal problems. It seems to me that adding another surgery for cosmetic is just one too many for these little guys.
 
This is all kinds of wrong! Bless those little babies and let them be who they are. In my humble opinion it is wrong to attempt to make them like "us". They aren't broken, they don't need to be fixed. They are different, as hopefully, we all are. They don't need to locked up in a closet, hidden from the public, changed to fool others into thinking they are someone different than who they are. Down's Syndrome people are not stupid. They know, they feel. Why in the name of all things holy would anyone want to subject a child to needless surgery to hide the child from who or she is? The inference is then, "You are different, you are ugly, you should be ashamed."; We are good, we are desirable, we are more perfect and you should look like us." Arrrrrrghhhh!!!!

The idea totally chaps my ass.
 
MistressNomad said:
If there's a medical reason for it, it's not cosmetic. Speech is a major component of human interaction. If speech problems can only be fixed through surgery, go for it. If speech therapy offers a high chance of comprehensive speech ability, go for that. Least invasive method possible.

The stated reason in the article for the surgery was cosmetic, to fit in. That is pretty abhorrent to me.
Click to expand...

I've had A LOT of experience with people who have physical "deformities" and wanting people to be more educated is kinda pie in the sky, in my opinion.

For every 1 person that doesn't care, there are 1000 more people who treat them like freaks.
It's more of a person just wanting to fit in and the parents would probably rather the child not be treated as such, all their life.
 
Risky Thicket said:
This is all kinds of wrong! Bless those little babies and let them be who they are. In my humble opinion it is wrong to attempt to make them like "us". They aren't broken, they don't need to be fixed. They are different, as hopefully, we all are. They don't need to locked up in a closet, hidden from the public, changed to fool others into thinking they are someone different than who they are. Down's Syndrome people are not stupid. They know, they feel. Why in the name of all things holy would anyone want to subject a child to needless surgery to hide the child from who or she is? The inference is then, "You are different, you are ugly, you should be ashamed."; We are good, we are desirable, we are more perfect and you should look like us." Arrrrrrghhhh!!!!

The idea totally chaps my ass.
Click to expand...

It's not like that to me.

I've been around people who have missing limbs for a large portion of my life.
They are treated as if they have a mental handicap.

Sometimes its easier to fit in.
 
I thought plastic surgery was not possible on a child because of growing skin and bones.
 
I see nothing wrong with it. What if you had a child who was born with some physical deformity, or had their appearance badly mangled in an accident? Wouldn't you want to correct it if possible? I think this is similar. People with Down's Syndrome look different, and will be judged based on their appearance, so I see nothing wrong with trying to make them look more "normal."

The idea of educating society instead of changing the appearance is unrealistic. This particular family's ability to make society less ignorant is limited, whereas their ability to change their child's appearance through surgery is considerable. I don't blame them at all for wanting their child to be happy, and to not be viewed as a freak by other people.
 
This is a cute idea, but it seems to me like it's fundamentally missing the point. Using surgery to make the children look normal doesn't make the children be normal and it isn't going to stop the other children from bullying them.
 
why is it that our society insists on placing so much value on our outside appearance? Downs Syndrome children are beautiful just the way they are.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom