Hilts, P. and S. Stolberg. Ethics Lapses at Duke Halt Dozens of Human Experiments. A parent asks her 9 year old son's pediatrician, Dr. Taylor, to administer Lupron to counteract gonadotropin elevations and delay maturation so that her son might be tall enough to play professional basketball. Dr. Taylor does so, without discussing the treatment with the child, even though he is normal height for his age. Parents and pediatricians are morally bound to make decisions that are in the best interest of the child.
Children rely on the compassion and expertise of adults to make appropriate clinical decisions.
The therapy makes a strong statement about values, and places more on a physical attribute than on the person. In private, Dr. Taylor should have had a discussion with the child, explaining to him that he is currently healthy and requires no medication. He should also have explained to him the rationale for the treatment and the risks and side-effects of GnRH agonists, including the delay of puberty and its psychosocial effects. Discussion with the patient shows respect for the patient as a person. It was unethical for the physician to base this significant clinical decision upon the presupposition that the child could become a basketball player.