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Daniel F. Gunther, MD, MA; Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(5):521-522.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In reply

Dr Bersani strongly objects to the proactive measures we have taken to attenuate the growth of our profoundly developmentally disabled patient, which we believe has improved the quality of her life and that of her family. Although Dr Bersani endorses "policies and actions that help families to rear their children at home," he views growth attenuation as "a totally unacceptable option." In so far as we understand them, his objections seem to be the following:

All children are capable of some learning. In general, we agree with Dr Bersani on this point but fail to see the relevance. Even if this child were capable of some marginal improvement in her cognitive abilities, it would not change her circumstances. It is important to dispel any misperception here—the little girl we discuss in our article is never going to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Growth Attenuation: Unjustifiable Non-therapy
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