President Donald Trump stepped on a landmine on Monday night when he literally accused Democrats of wanting doctors to “execute” babies after birth, drawing the ire of an actual doctor who proceeded to rip him a new one.
Senate Democrats refused to vote for a stunt bill introduced by Republicans in response to a statement made by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, which would ban doctors from withdrawing life-prolonging measures at the behest of parents of babies who won’t survive outside the womb because of a horrible defect or fatal condition.
Its a heartbreaking situation for any parent to find themselves in and doctors are there to provide the best care to make the infant as comfortable as possible before death.
But conservatives think this is late-term abortion for some reason and Trump continued to perpetuate that lie by lashing out at Democrats for opposing it.
Senate Democrats just voted against legislation to prevent the killing of newborn infant children. The Democrat position on abortion is now so extreme that they don’t mind executing babies AFTER birth….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2019
….This will be remembered as one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress. If there is one thing we should all agree on, it’s protecting the lives of innocent babies.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2019
But the babies he is talking about are those who are already going to die. There is no saving these babies. What Republicans want is to prolong suffering, not life.
In response to Trump’s tweet, an actual medical doctor wrecked him for his careless and incendiary remarks.
Physicians do not execute babies.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Nurses do not execute babies
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Pharmacists do not execute babies
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
I am a doctor in a hospital. When I order a medication, the pharmacist checks the order and the nurse administers the medication. We work as a team. We do not execute babies.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
We actually do not execute anybody.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Generally, we try to keep people comfortable whether we can cure them or not. This is particularly important when we can’t cure them because in those cases keeping them comfortable is all we can do. That is palliative care and it is a vital part of our duty to our patients.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Often, we can prolong life. Sometimes, when we cannot cure people we can still prolong their lives while attempting to alleviate their suffering. Sometimes, the patient and their family do not want the life prolonged. At that point, we withdraw life-prolonging measures.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Withdrawal of life-prolonging measures is not “execution.” “Execution” is the active taking of a life. Withdrawal of life-prolonging measures is allowing natural death to occur when it is inevitable anyway.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
There is also the concept of medical futility to consider. When a heart stops, we can try to start it up again but in some cases— in which the underlying disease or condition is incurable— such efforts are futile. We are not required to engage in futile acts.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
These end of life decisions— the effort to preserve comfort and quality of life, the effort to avoid suffering, the decision to forgo or withdraw futile measures, the decision to allow natural death— are difficult, complex, and individual.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
In health care, we work as a team. The hallmark of a good decision is the agreement of the team: caregivers, family, and patient. Generally, we achieve peaceful consensus that we are all doing right by the patient.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
Palliative care is absolutely part of our duty to our patients, whatever their age: newborns included. To characterize the care of desperately ill, incurable, suffering newborns as “execution” is inexcusable.
— daphne braithwaite ??⚕️ (@carlatomsmd) February 26, 2019
It should also be pointed out that killing a baby after birth is already illegal so the law being passed would have been redundant as well while making it harder for doctors to provide palliative care to babies who are suffering.
Rather than continue pandering to anti-abortion fanatics, Republicans should talk to actual doctors and parents who have had to make these heartbreaking decisions. Of course, that won’t change their minds. The only thing that will really do that is if they or a family member go through it themselves.
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