“Medical error” ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States, falling behind heart disease and cancer. Approximately 250,000 deaths happen each year because of medical error. This shows that even the best doctors might not always be able to make the best decision for a child, and it’s necessary for a loving parent to have a say in what medical treatment their child receives. In recent years, it seems that parental rights are getting more and more restricted when it comes to medical care.

California, West Virginia and Mississippi have all passed laws prohibiting nonmedical vaccine exemptions. This means that personal or religious beliefs are no longer acceptable reasons for children to not be vaccinated in those states. West Virginia and Mississippi also have officials that review all medical exemptions made, while California has no one to review such exemptions.

Senate Bill 866 adds onto a preexisting bill that allows children at the age of 12 to access birth control and abortions, as well as receive treatment for STIs, drug and alcohol related disorders and mental health disorders. With Bill 866, adolescents can also receive FDA approved vaccines without parental input or knowledge. Laws like this force children to make adult decisions when they may not be able to understand the consequences of such decisions.

Though this bill was stopped before it could be passed, Washington D.C. wanted to keep parents in the dark regarding a child’s choice to receive vaccinations. “A minor child may not know his or her medical history. A minor child may consent to an immunization, and then suffer an adverse reaction, and a parent who does not know that the child was immunized may miss warning signs and be unable to get the child to the hospital in time. Or a parent may not know that their child received an immunization at school, and have their family pediatrician administer the same immunization, resulting in potential harm due to multiple and unnecessary doses.”

Fourteen U.S. states do not require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to get an abortion. The majority of states that do require parental involvement allow for exceptions in cases of medical emergencies or assault, neglect, incest or abuse. In those states, a minor could obtain approval from a court of law to have an abortion without their parent’s knowledge or consent.

Studies have shown that children who are able to answer 20 “Do You Know?” questions about their immediate family history have stronger emotional health and happiness when compared to children who cannot answer the same questions. Some examples of the questions are: “Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school?” “Do you know where your grandparents grew up?” “Do you know of an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family?”

When children know who and where they came from, they are more secure in themselves and able to draw strength from the stories of their family.