What Is Best for Baby Charlie Gard?

Dr. John Lantos

if there's uncertainty about whether he's in pain, I would tend to err on the side of the parent's assessment since generally when there's uncertainty we defer to parents. There's similar uncertainty about whether the proposed experimental treatment could be of any benefit. One expert, one of the world's experts in these mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes says that it might. Another expert says that she doesn't think it will. And again, when experts disagree, those are exactly the sort of cases in which we usually defer to parents. So in this case, I think those uncertainties would have led me to say that the parent's call should determine what course of treatment is undertaken.

Broadcast interviewer

I suppose you can look at it objectively as a professional and give a professional medical opinion. But there are those that would argue that the parents are obviously and understandably swayed by the love for their child.

Dr. John Lantos

Right. And I mean, swayed by or motivated by, you know, it's difficult to know whether... in these situations it's best to seek objective opinions or whether motivation by love is actually a positive.

Broadcast interviewer

But on this occasion it sounds like you are leaning towards the parents and you feel that Charlie should at least be given a chance in the US to take this experimental treatment.

Dr. John Lantos

It could be the US, it could be the UK. Apparently there's a hospital in Rome that is also offering to provide the treatment. I think what happens in a lot of these cases, too, is that the press serves as a sort of Greek chorus, that the doctors are protagonists, the parents are protagonists, the courts get involved, but the press and now the public through social media expresses their own opinions about what's best.