ABSTRACT
From the day our children are conceived, we are challenged to make important decisions that could affect them for the rest of their lives. Sometimes the answers come easily, as if we have foreseen all outcomes and can choose the proper course with con®dence. At other times, the options have signi®cant implications and weigh heavily on our hearts. How can we, as mere mortals without specialized training, make choices for these tiny, gurgling, squirming masses of ¯esh, drool and stool which we hold bundled in our arms, or which we support as they toddle on unsteady legs? It is challenging enough to make decisions for ourselves, at times (how many times have we kicked ourselves for the poor choices we have made?). And yet, as our children utter their ®rst cries in the delivery room, we become the Decision Makers, and we take on the responsibility without the bene®t of an owner's manual.
