Comments on: The ultrasound that saved a baby girl’s life

By: BZ

BZ — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:47:42 +0000

Although choosing to abort a fetus because of its sex is like unwise moral choice, and I would not want a society that chooses their family based solely on sex. It’s however the choice of the woman to do as she wishes with her own body. Dr. Lee you are not the one who has to pay for medical costs necessary to go on with this pregnancy, your body is not the one affected by this fetus. You are not the one who is going to raise this child. Your opinion should remain as what it is “An Opinion”.
I don’t think as a physician that we should hold our opinions to our patients, but one must be careful when giving opinions vs scientific facts or data. Dr. Lee as passionate as she is about her pro-life stance, she did give her patients false information about the fetus in order to achieve her “moral goal” which is that abortion is wrong.

And I am disturbed that she actually thinks watch she told them is “fact”. First off, a 3-4 month fetus (12-16 weeks) is far from being a fully formed fetus. A 12-16 week fetus has no chance of survival even with our great medical technology because many of its vital organs necessary for life are not fully formed. Second, the notion that “this fetus can feel pain” is not supported by any fact. This, Dr. Lee, is your opinion but you convey this to your patients as if it’s common medical knowledge. You made no clarification to them that this was simply just your belief, and that misguides your patients.
What Dr. Lee in effect did was make the parents feel guilty about their choice by making it sound like they were killing a human being that is fully formed and feels pain. This is in error in logic as your evidence has no support.
Please do physicians a favor, and keep pursuing truth by scientific data. Do not force your subjective beliefs by giving patients unsupported medical information as if it’s common knowledge. Your opinion is important and your refusal of a treatment is also your right, but don’t blur the line of fact versus opinion. Doing this is disservice not only to medicine but also to your patients.

By: Better Health » Ultrasound Image Of Baby Girl Sucking Her Thumb Changes Parents’ Minds About Aborting Her

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:00:28 +0000

[...] The ultrasound that saved a baby girl’s life – guest post by Dr Linda M. Lee at KevinMD.com. Originally posted at Dr. Linda’s Life Lessons [...]

By: ninguem

ninguem — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:09:14 +0000

Linda, you did the right thing. The family was not going to face financial ruin over the baby. From your story, they made it clear. If it were a boy they would have kept the baby. You told them the truth.

“…..But was it within the rights of this physician to say these types of things to these parents?…..”

Yes. Linda, you’ve got people here who think you don’t have the right to tell the family the truth. Amazing.

By: Radiology

Radiology — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:45:15 +0000

This is a great story. Sometimes a picture is better than words.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:29:38 +0000

Dr. Linda Lee,

Thank you so much for sharing this. As a young woman who believes in LIFE at whatever stage, as the Hippocratic oath states, “from fertilization to natural death”, I applaud your method.. both your truth and your love. Without passing judgment on the parents, you were a voice for one that could not yet speak. I would venture to bet that if the parents of this little girl were asked, they would be the most grateful to you of anyone for your gentle intervention.

By: sonnet

sonnet — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:06:54 +0000

Thanks Dr Linda Lee for this important post. It is written by a romantic feminine method.

By: Linda Lee

Linda Lee — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:06:20 +0000

Wow, I knew when this blog piece went live it would generate a lot fo discussion. Thank-you to all who have commented. I especially was touched by Becca’s comment ( the medical student). I am glad this piece encourages you. As I was going through my medical school training I too was “taught” by my attendings that I should never give my opinion when it comes to abortion. I was not to have any opinion that was relayed to the patient. To me- having no opinion or not saying anything and just giving them the referral to the abortion clinic, this is the same as giving an opinion! By not saying anything, you are essentially telling them that you are okay with this and approve of what they are going to do.
In my case, I was fortunate that I didn’t need to say much. I just showed them the ultrasound picture which spoke for itself, and they asked me questions. And i answered truthfully. I didn’t make them feel bad or guilty . I just presented the facts…the truth in love.
And to Alban: As I said in the piece, I delivered their baby and followed this family as my patients for a few years in this clinic. They ended up having a few more children after this- one was a boy and another girl I believe. I took care of their family had a great doctor/patient relationship with them. They were never left out in the cold as you suggest!
This is what good family doctors are suppose to do. I am sorry that you have this view of doctors who stand up for life ( that they only voice their opinion without loving action to follow up).

Thanks again for all the comments and insight!

Linda Lee,MD

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:00:01 +0000

alban, the family wasn’t planning to abort the baby because they couldn’t afford her; it was because she wasn’t the “right” sex.

By: alban berg

alban berg — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:35:40 +0000

And, when that family suffers financial ruin or emotional disintegration due to the strain an extra child places upon it, where will Dr. Lee be?

By: kathy

kathy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:06:53 +0000

How wonderful that there was a picture to show them – so that this couple had opportunity to make an informed decision, and that saved this precious girls’s life!
Abortion doesn’t just hurt little girls (and boys) but grown women as well.
Women were created – by nature – to carry life. (even if not all of us do – I have no natural children.) Although women and men are needed for reproduction, yes? (speaking to anonymous) It seems so incrediblly horrifying that we treat unborn babies as dispensible!
I – for one – am thankful for doctors like Dr. Lee who will speak truth so that her patients can make decisions they will not regret.