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Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.

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Main Author: Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
Other Authors: Van Niekerk, Anton A.
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2020
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access_status_str Open Access
author Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
author2 Van Niekerk, Anton A.
author_browse Van Niekerk, Anton A.
Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
author_facet Van Niekerk, Anton A.
Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
author_sort Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109091
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:46.810Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2020
publishDateRange 2020
publishDateSort 2020
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109091 Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt Van Niekerk, Anton A. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy: Centre of Applied Ethics. Cochlear implant UCTD Deafness in children -- Ethics Newborn infants -- Hearing -- Medical Screening Moral Philosophy Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deafness in an adult is detrimental to communication and is therefore uncomfortable and debilitating not only for the deaf person, but also for those interacting with him/her. By contrast, for a child younger than 3 years of age, deafness has a profound effect on his/her global neurological development which,later in life,may lead to social isolation,poor self-image, learning problems with reduced academic achievement and eventually limited vocational choices. If the deafness is not diagnosed and treated promptly, the child will suffer its consequences for the rest of his/her life. Congenital, severe and profoundly deaf children can be successfully rehabilitated with Cochlear Implants,only if the diagnosis of deafness is made early, preferably before 6 months of age.Early diagnosis of deafness in a child is therefore imperative.Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) can identify those newborn babies with a possible congenital deafness and enables the parents of such a child to confirm the diagnosis with additional tests before the child is three months old. NHS is a painless procedure with a low probability of harm. Non-diagnosis and not treating a baby with congenital deafness has a high probability of severe harm to both baby and parents, as well as the extended family.Quality of life for both the baby and the parents will be negatively affected if the congenital deafness is diagnosed and treated only later in the child’s life.Therefore, we may have a moral obligation to do universal NHS, i.e. screen all newborn babies for possible hearing loss.NHS assists the parents of a congenitally deaf child to have access to a CI for their child, when the child will benefit the most from the procedure, i.e. as soon after 6 months of age as possible. The availability and use of CIs are however viewed as a threat by the Deaf community. Deciding whether to have a CI for one’s child or letting the child become part of the Deaf culture is a moral dilemma that will be discussed. The moral issues surrounding the election for deafness in one’s future child and the effect CIs have on this situation, will also be discussed. Deafness in children is mostly caused by infectious diseases which can be prevented with vaccination. Vaccination is not only beneficial to the recipient, but also creates herd immunity that protects those children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.Recently, especially in developed countries, there has been a trend towards not vaccinating one’s child, but the result is that relatively uncommon diseases, like measles,as well as their complications of deafness,are re-surfacing.Applying the Principle of Least Restrictive Alternative to an Intervention Ladder,it can be argued that compulsory or mandatory vaccination is necessary to keep the number of non-vaccinated children as small as possible and thus protect herd immunity. Everyone capable of being vaccinated, should do so, to compensate for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and can therefore not contribute to herd immunity. Compulsory vaccination may therefore also be morally justified by applying the Principle of Fairness. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadpleeg teks vir opsomming Masters 2020-08-27T15:46:15Z 2021-01-31T19:34:57Z 2020-08-27T15:46:15Z 2021-01-31T19:34:57Z 2020-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109091 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 116 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Cochlear implant
UCTD
Deafness in children -- Ethics
Newborn infants -- Hearing -- Medical Screening
Moral Philosophy
Van Niekerk, Marthinus Gerhardus Mynhardt
Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title_full Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title_fullStr Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title_full_unstemmed Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title_short Moral Problems associated with Pediatric Deafness
title_sort moral problems associated with pediatric deafness
topic Cochlear implant
UCTD
Deafness in children -- Ethics
Newborn infants -- Hearing -- Medical Screening
Moral Philosophy
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109091
work_keys_str_mv AT vanniekerkmarthinusgerhardusmynhardt moralproblemsassociatedwithpediatricdeafness