January 5, 2007, 08:18:00

Reporter: Michael Rowland

PETER CAVE: In the United States, controversy is raging over the decision by the parents of a severely disabled young girl to deliberately stunt her growth in order to give her a better life.

Nine-year-old Ashley has undergone hormone treatment and a hysterectomy so, as her parents say, she'll be easier to care for.

The move has triggered intense and emotional debate, with critics accusing the parents of maiming their child for the sake of convenience.

North America Correspondent Michael Rowland reports.

MICHAEL ROWLAND: Her parents call her their pillow angel.

Nine-year-old Ashley was born with a rare brain impairment. She can't walk or talk, and she's fed through a tube. She has the mental ability of a three-month-old baby.

Three years ago Ashley began to show early signs of puberty, and her parents became concerned about the impact of her rapidly increasing height and weight on the girl's quality of life.

So they decided to keep her small.

After consulting doctors at a Seattle children's hospital, Ashley's parents say they agreed on a range of procedures aimed at stunting the girl's growth.

This was done by giving Ashley high doses of oestrogen. She also underwent surgery to stop her breasts growing. As well, Ashley's uterus was removed.

As a result Ashley's growth has been suspended at just below one-and-a-half metres. She'll weigh no more than 34 kilograms.

Her parents haven't given their names, but they've set up a blog to defend what they've done.

Alongside a gallery of photographs of Ashley, the parents say her breast buds were removed so she wouldn't be uncomfortable when lying down.

Her uterus was taken out, the parents say, to stop the discomfort associated with the menstrual cycle and to stop Ashley getting pregnant if she was sexually abused.

DOUGLAS DIEKEMA: She'll always have the mental age of an infant, and in some ways it may be more appropriate that she has a smaller body, because it fits her mental age more appropriately.

MICHAEL ROWLAND: Doctor Douglas Diekema, from the University of Washington in Seattle, was on the ethics panel that gave the go-ahead for Ashley's treatment.

DOUGLAS DIEKEMA: At the present time, dad is frequently the one that lifts her from one place to the other, so as she gets bigger that becomes much more difficult, it becomes, as they become older it becomes more difficult, and at that point in time they would be forced to consider using a mechanical lift, which is much more impersonal.

MICHAEL ROWLAND: Ashley's treatment has triggered a storm of controversy in the US.

While some other parents of disabled children have praised the decision, there's been an outpouring of disgust over what's been done to the young girl.

The parents have been accused of creating a 21st century Frankenstein's monster, of maiming their child for the sake of convenience.

Andy Imparato is the Chief Executive of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

ANDY IMPARATO: To remove a child's uterus on the grounds that she doesn't have the mental capacity to know how to use it is child abuse.

MICHAEL ROWLAND: In response, Ashley's parents have used their blog to insist it's all been done in the girl's best interests.

Ashley, they write, can continue to delight in being held in our arms and will have more exposure to social gatherings, instead of lying down in her bed staring at the TV all day.

And they've told their critics that unless they're living the experience, they have no clue what it's like to be the bedridden child or her carers.

In Washington, this is Michael Rowland reporting for AM.