Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

When belief kills

Explore the chilling case of religious freedom limits in the death of a child due to faith healing and parental beliefs.

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

Where does religious freedom end? This is an important question, a vital one. At times, a matter literally of life and death. In Wisconsin, the parents of Madeline Kara Neumann are going to stand trial soon for killing their child. She had juvenile diabetes. Her parents did not take her to get medically treated, but instead prayed over her. Last March, she died of diabetic ketoacidosis: she dehydrated, and her body basically shut down. She was 11 years old. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs in people with diabetes who don't get insulin. It is almost completely preventable with regular insulin shots, a simple medical procedure. In other words, had Kara been diagnosed with diabetes -- and that's a relatively easy disease to diagnose in children during routine medical checkups -- she would almost certainly be alive today. Medical science provides children with diabetes the ability to live a relatively normal life. This ...

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles