More children than ever are undergoing medical procedures for nonmedical purposes-breast enhancement and liposuction, as well as “Westernizing” eye surgery for Asian children and cosmetic interventions to correct physical deformities. An essay set in the current issue of the Hastings Center Report examines what-if any-justifications there are for parents to consent to changing their child’s physical nature.
The lead essay opens with the case of a white father who sought “Asian eye surgery,” or blepharoplasty, for his adopted Asian daughter. The surgery, common among Asians in the U.S. and abroad, is performed on babies and young children in the belief that it will make them more attractive and confer a competitive advantage. But because the shape of the eye is, for some, an integral part of their identity, parents who consent to the surgery limit their children’s autonomy by taking away their right to make a decision central to their identity as adults, argues Alicia Ouellette, an associate professor of law at Albany Law School.
Cosmetic Procedures for Children
