자녀를 위한 무수혈 치료법의 선택과 친권의 범위 -서울동부지방법원 2010.10.21.자 2010카합2341 결정-

In seeking professional medical treatment, it falls into the realm of parental rights and duties that they delegate the cure of their underage children’s ailment to medical professionals as an act to protect their children’s health. However, underage children do not have natural insight and the capability to express their decision whether or not to get medical treatment. In this case, the parents who hold the rights and duties to protect their children seek medical treatment and as the medical professionals suggest the parents agree to get treatment. In this case of agreement, the right to self-determination is based on personal right, therefore parents are not the delegates exercising the rights of their children but their right to agreement derives from their rights as parents. In this case, the question arises “whether it falls in the boundary of the rights and duties of parents when they seek bloodless surgery for their children’s medical treatment.” Clearly parents have the rights and duties to consider or distinguish the positive elements and also the negative in regard to their children’s physical and mental benefits when a medical treatment is given to them. Therefore, following factors should be reviewed: whether there are negative factors regarding blood transfusion, what kinds of bloodless heart surgeries some parents request are currently conducted on newborns. Then it could further help us and those examining the parental legal rights and duties to understand better the parents of strong religious belief.