Disclosing Illness in Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Disclosing Illness in Children - Essay Example No challenges and obstacles should be oppressing our children. These claims are often provided by loving and caring parents. Very often they hide the truth from their children. In the context of medicine, ethical concerns are one of the most important. Therefore, when parents want to keep their children from knowing truth about their diagnoses, they are following such tendencies as fear to reduce child’s desire to live; avoid depression in their child, avoid social oppression or rejection etc (Hendrick, 2004). On the other hand, they are only complicating the situations, because children may be informed by third parties and then the pressure on them will be even more intense. There is a need to inform a child about the illness within family and develop illness coping strategies for sure (Leathard, McLaren, 2007). `In case children know their diagnosis, it will be easier for them to have higher self-esteem and to cause lower depression levels among their parents. In the case sc enario, a child does not know about her diagnosis hepatitis B. Her liver is being gradually destroyed and her mother wants to keep her uninformed about her status. On the other hand, it is better to inform the girl, because in such a way the danger of illness is potentially hazardous for her sexual partners for sure (Butts, 2008). Social implications of hiding the true diagnosis from a child may result in ruined friendship or damaged social contacts, distancing of family members and many other unpleasant things. It is better to inform the child about her diagnosis by family members at once. Of course, it is relevant to take into account child’s age and to find the best convenient time and ways of a child’s informing. There is a need to widen horizon of the neighbors or relatives about the illness in order not to keep them in fear. For example, the way HBV is transmitted is often unknown for people. All physicians of a child and family, few friends and family members sh ould be informed about a child’s diagnosis for sure (Dowrick and Frith, 1999). Of course, there is a chance that these people would remain aside this problem or would not understand your family, but it is better not to hide the truth for sure, but fight for a tolerant attitude to a child. There is a need for support from family members or friends. At this stage it is desirable to provide these people with relevant information about the disease (Reamer, 2005). Proper and on-time informing is worth consideration at different stages of diagnosis disclosure. Not only children should be prepared for this process, but all family member and the closest friends in order to support them. When child is at high school, she will be able to decide whether inform or not inform her friends about her diagnosis (Waz, 2010). Discussion and integration of the ethical principles and theories Treatment providers, the members of the family with HBV should follow ethics code. The highest standards of care should be developed in terms of ethics code. There is no need to choose between right or wrong decisions.  There is a need to balance ethical concerns of family members, teachers and medical staff in every particular case. Thus, it should be noted that professionals in medical sphere would always act in the interests of their client. For example, in this scenario they are worried about potential health hazards to her surrounding people and friends. Her mother is keeping secrets from