[TXBSAFH]

Pray. For guidance and mercy.

Prayers from TX

[Alberta's Child]

Is the child breathing on its own without any mechanical assistance?

[TChris]

1. Fast and pray to God for guidance.
2. Act according to the answer you receive by the Holy Spirit.

One consideration: If she was born with no brain, she is probably not suffering, IMO.

[HairOfTheDog]

What would be the most moral thing to do in this situation ?

Sympathize and support the parents no matter what they decide to do. Offer help and respite to them if you can.

And guard them against unwanted meddling into their business by activists of any kind.

[Halls]

Well, there really is nothing to do but love the baby till she passes. I had a friend who had this very thing happen, the baby had no brain at all. They found out when she was 7 months pg. They decided to induce labor since the doctor knew the baby would die and not even make it and sure enough it died before it was even born. Thing is I'm surprised this baby is "alive" without a brain and breathing. I don't think anyone without a brain can breath so something has to be in that baby's head. Maybe she has a brain, but just not a completed brain.

My advice is the same though, love the baby and take care of it till it passes, that is all you can do.

[RegulatorCountry]

If this poor child is truly anencephalic, there is very little that can be done for her, unlike Terry Schiavo, who breathed on her own, had consciousness, showed emotion and attempted to communicate.

[mgist]

Those are tough circumstances. I would say give the baby all the love they would give a healthy baby and let nature take its' course. I personally would babtise the baby. My greatest moments of suffering have always turned out to be my greatest learning and growing experiences.

[eleni121]

The baby is alive...and as such deserves to live.

They will always be parents and as such have an obligation to protect this child and let the Lord decide what is best.

[mnehring]

So tough of a situation that I believe really is a decision between the family and their doctor. This seems to fit more into a resuscitation order situation and not abortion. I pray I never have to be in this situation and frankly, I don't have an answer, just as I cannot say what I would choose if I had a family member brain dead, but on life support and I was named the guardian.

[xcullen]

You cannot make policy based on worst case scenarios

[RexBeach]

Pray to the Good Lord to call his little angel home.

[tutstar]

Baptist/Prayer ping and advice if you have any.

[armymarinemom]

Sounds as if she does have a brain stem if she is breathing. Babies with this defect do not live very long. Just be there for the parents.

[silverleaf]

None of us can possibly address "the most moral" thing to do!!!!

The parents gave life to their child and now THEY, with the support of the baby's doctor and the help of their pastor or priest, must decide how to be the best parents they can be to that child!! I have interacted with a number of parents who had to make life and death decsions for their children. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT and NO ONE OUTSIDE of that couple and their child...can understand.

If you want to be a friend, butt out of advising them on morality. Just hold them while they weep and admire with them the beauty they created and brought to life.

You might want to buy them a copy of "Letters to Gabriel" by Karen Santorum (wife of Senator Rick Santorum)....who bore a baby she knew would die at birth from a fatal birth defect
http://www.catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=823ct.

[kiki04]

Pray, and be there for them in their time of need.

Special Children are given to us to show us our capacity for love and compassion. Even when they are with us briefly, they are always in our hearts.

God be with your friends and their child.

[Bikers4Bush]

The most moral thing would be to love the child, be thankful for the time they have with him/her and not second guess their faith.

Anything else is just a waste of time and energy.

[Congressman Billybob]

They made the wrong decision at the beginning. My wife and I went on a cruise in the Caribbean. She received an insect bite in Haiti. When we returned she became seriously ill, from an unknown cause.

After a week in the hospital, and major diagnoses including extensive X-rays, she was diagnosed with infectious hepatitis. That was successfully treated with very strong drugs. After all that, we found out that we were pregnant.

Our obstetrician, who was also a lifelong friend, advised us that any of the three situations -- the hepatitis, the X-rays, and the treatment drugs -- would probably have fatally damaged the fetus. With all three present, he advised us to have a therapeutic abortion.

We discussed it, prayed over it, and decided to follow his advice. The fetus was abnormal.

Years later, we had a healthy boy, who is 28 now.

Such situations are rare, but it sounds to me like the couple received the correct advice from their doctors, and chose not to follow it.

John / Billybob

[John Lenin]

Pull the plug on the machines and let nature take it's course.

[AppyPappy]

were told that their baby will practically have no brain

Problem. What if the doctors are wrong?

[nina0113]

Pray for the family, baptize the child, and wait for nature to take its course. I can't think of a kind way to suggest to the family that when the time comes, organ donation would be appropriate, but I'm sure whatever hospital they're dealing with has.

I hope you're not suggesting the child should be euthanized to relieve the parents' suffering.