Majority (71%) Believe Courts Should Intervene And Give Sextuplets Blood Transfusion If Needed Despite Parent's Beliefs And Wishes

Toronto, ON,-A new Ipsos Reid survey conducted for CanWest News Service/Global News, indicates that a full majority (71%) of Canadians support the B.C. government which got a court order to seize three of the surviving sextuplets born in Vancouver earlier in January and ensure they got blood transfusions. Two of the sextuplets have already died. The poll found that 29% of Canadians side with the family and believe that the wishes of the parents should be respected even if the babies die.

The babies were part of the group of six born at B.C. Women's Hospital into a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, a religious group that prohibits blood transfusions. B.C.'s director of child protection sought an order under provincial child-care legislation on Jan. 26 to seize one child for a transfusion. The government sought an order for a second child the following day, and a third order was sought on Monday, January 29, 2007. Those transfusions have since taken place. Two of the babies, who were born prematurely, have already died, says an affidavit filed in court on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 by the babies' father as part of the family's appeal of the transfusion orders.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CanWest News Service/Global News and fielded from. Jan 11 - 15th, 2007. For this survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians was interviewed via an on-line survey vehicle. With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

The key findings:

• Seven in ten (71%) agree that the courts should intervene on behalf of Canadians and appropriate caregivers and place the children under the care of child services agency at the first sign that a blood transfusion is needed and the child is prevented from a having a blood transfusion because of their parents' beliefs; but
• 29% feel Canadians should respect the wishes of the parents if they decide to refuse a blood transfusion even if it may mean a baby could die.

As you may know, Canada's first sextuplets - six babies birthed by one woman in Vancouver recently-- were very premature and weighing under two pounds each. Doctors say that because the babies are so premature they may require a blood transfusion to survive. However, their parents are Jehovah Witnesses--a religion that prohibits blood transfusions - and this may mean that the parents decide not to allow a transfusion if any of their babies require it. Which do you agree with more.

For more information on this press release, please contact:
John Wright
Sr. Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900

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