Children are entitled to parental love and care. They depend upon their parents for their protection and upbringing. It is the duty of the parents to provide the best possible care for their well being. The rights of a child extend to be brought up in an environment that safeguards their interests as well as ensures their positive physical, emotional and intellectual growth.
Parents have a right to choose what kind of upbringing they want for their children. They can decide what kind of schooling or curricular activities they want their child to be involved in. They also have a right to decide what is best for their children including opting for alternative medical care instead of the conventional one. The question is can a parent refuse medical care for their child in favour of alternative therapy and can such a refusal be considered as acting in the best interest of the child. It has been argued that a parent can refuse conventional medical care as long as it is not harming the child's life. However, if the child's life is in danger and only conventional medicine can save him then such a refusal would amount to negligence and failure on the part of the parent to providing care. If a child dies because his parents chose to give him alternative medicine instead of the conventional one, the parents would be guilty of causing that death.
It is the duty of the parent to ensure that the best interests of the child are taken care of. In cases of medical necessity, they cannot refuse the proper channel of treatment and opt for alternative therapy which cannot provide life saving treatments.
