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Ashley X | |
|---|---|
 Ashley X as a baby | |
| Born | 1997 (age 26–27) Seattle area |
The Ashley Treatment refers to a controversial set of medical procedures performed on an American child, "Ashley X". Ashley, born in 1997, has severe developmental disabilities due to static encephalopathy; she is assumed to be at an infant level mentally, but continues to grow physically. The treatment included growth attenuation via high-dose estrogens, hysterectomy, bilateral breast bud removal, and appendectomy.[1] In June 2016, after 18 years of searching, Ashley's condition was determined to be the result of a de novo (not inherited, i.e. a mutation) and non-mosaic single-nucleotide polymorphism in the GRIN1 gene,[2] which is implicated in neurotransmission.
The principal purpose of the treatment was to improve Ashley's quality of life by limiting her growth in size, eliminating menstrual cramps and bleeding, and preventing discomfort from large breasts. The combination of the surgery and the estrogen therapy attracted much public comment and ethical analysis in early 2007, both supportive and condemning.[3][4]
Ashley's parents granted their first written interview to CNN Health in March 2008,[5] and their second to The Guardian in March 2012.[6] In addition, The Guardian published two interviews with mothers of a girl[7] and a boy[8] who had completed the treatment. A 2014 TV program and article tell the similar story of a girl in New Zealand.[9][10] A survey on growth attenuation among pediatric endocrinologists was published in July 2015.[11][12]
- ^ "A slide summary of the "Ashley Treatment"" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
blogwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gunther, DF; Diekema, DS (2006). "Attenuating growth in children with profound developmental disability: a new approach to an old dilemma". Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 160 (10): 1013–7. doi:10.1001/archpedi.160.10.1013. PMID 17018459.
- ^ Field, Genevieve (2016-03-22). "Should Parents of Children With Severe Disabilities Be Allowed to Stop Their Growth?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-07-11. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ "'Pillow angel' parents answer CNN's questions". CNN. 2008-03-12.
- ^ Pilkington, Ed (2012-03-15). "The Ashley treatment: 'Her life is as good as we can possibly make it'". The Guardian.
- ^ McVeigh, Karen (2012-03-16). "The 'Ashley treatment': Erica's story". The Guardian.
- ^ McVeigh, Karen (2012-03-16). "Growth attenuation treatment: Tom, the first boy to undergo procedure". The Guardian.
- ^ ""Sunday" meets parents who decided to keep their daughter small through a rare treatment". Sunday TV station in New Zealand. 2014-05-17.
- ^ Chisholm, Donna (June 2014). "Let's Talk About Charley". North & South. pp. 66–75. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ Pollock, Allison J; Fost, Norman; Allen, David B (July 2015). "Growth attenuation therapy: practice and perspectives of paediatric endocrinologists". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 100 (12): 1185. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-309130. PMC 4762252. PMID 26203123.
- ^ "Growth Attenuation Therapy: Practice & Perspectives of Pediatric Endocrinologists (summary slide)" (PDF). Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health. 2014-07-21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-08-15.