Baby given overdose of testosterone

[Susan]

Baby given overdose of testosterone
30 June 2005 
By NIKKI MACDONALD

A baby given 10 times the prescribed dose of testosterone began to grow pubic hair and was left vulnerable to a painful side effect.

The nurse who accidentally gave the overdose, which left the baby irritable, angry and often inconsolable, breached the code of patient rights, the Health and Disability Commissioner has found.

The infant, identified as Baby A, had a rare congenital condition that resulted in a very small penis. To avoid later teasing, the baby was prescribed a course of three 25-milligram injections of testosterone enanthate one month apart, to enlarge its penis to normal size. [Read More]

[beth]

This is a terrible tragedy. even the correct dose is a tragedy if the baby is a girl. I wish him or her a peaceful wonderful life.










beth

[Cassandra]

This is a travesty. When will parents and doctors learn to stop trying to make life altering decisions for children who cannot speak for themselves. Most of us knew at a very early age that our physical gender was wrong. Would it have been that much trouble to wait until the child could at least convey his or her preference, before engaging in dangerous hormonal therapy the child may not even want. Did these people stop to consider that the "problem", if it really was one, might just correct itself? I doubt it!

Cassie

[stephanie_craxford]

While I agree that this is a tragedy, I hope that the parents of the child made the descision based on love, and not fear.  As parents we want only the best for our children.  Sometimes those want's are misguided, but we do our best with the information that we have at the time, the society in which we live, and the values we were raised with.

This is not mean't as a rebutle, but just a thought from a parent who is having a hard time with the possible loss of a daughter.

[4years]

But on the flip side, presumably the child is male, and identifies as such...

Given that child can't speak for themselves yet. The option for a (presumably) normal life is available.  What should be done? The majority of babies born with those parts desire those parts. Logically, the best choice is the make those parts "normal".

This is presuming, of course, that the option to 'fix' what went wrong exists now and not later.

The logic, "To avoid later teasing", is garbage however.

[VeryGnawty]

Given that child can't speak for themselves yet. The option for a (presumably) normal life is available.  What should be done? The majority of babies born with those parts desire those parts. Logically, the best choice is the make those parts "normal".

I have yet to see a whit of evidence suggesting the physical or metaphysical benefits of being "normal" that don't involve an avoidance of pain and suffering which are brought about by the very concept of "normal" in the first place.

[Dave98557]

When I was a child of 7 or 8, my breasts started to develope.  The Doctor decided I should have a series of testosterone injections. 

I was diagnosed with "rage' problems at 9. 
I started shaving at 10, had profuse body and chesthair at 12. 
Had such extreme emotional problems that I left home at 13.

Doctors now tell me that my spine was deformed because my muscles were too developed, too early and the bones couldn't support the load.

When I related this recently to a Doctor, eh said, "Oh, we've learned much better than that.  We'd never do that nowadays!"

Hmmm.

"They" are still assigning gender at birth!  People are still listening to Doctors as if they were Gods... and too many Doctors think they are Gods!

If it were my child, I'd leave it til they could choose.

[beth]

The majority of babies born with those parts desire those parts. Logically, the best choice is the make those parts "normal".

i would agree except this baby is not average/normal so the chances of getting it right are dimished greatly.

[Terra]

Actually, it depends on the time the dose was given. I have recently read that if the mother accidently takes to much steroids( medically perscribed for achs and pains) then the unborn child could suffer. If the child is male, the male organ could do any number of things from grow to big, to becoming deformed. On the flip side, a female baby could, if given before the 18th week i think, develop a complete male genitilia.
From the story i would guess that the child was originally female. To what degree the parents had a say could be questioned. As perhaps the injections were given without the parents noticing. In my ward, not always is the father present, and the mother never gets a good look at the baby untill it is handed to her. Thus, the doctor could reasonbly come up with an excuse to give the baby isolation for any number of reasons to cover up the mistake.
I truly hope that this scenario is a product of my overactive imagination, but in theory it could happen like this. Scary thoughts either way, i'd raise the child untill the child decided who he/she wanted to be. After all, is not the child the one to live with the choice?