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Food and water are the very essence of life. But is there ever a time when food and water should be withheld in someone who is not otherwise dying? And what if that someone is a child? Emma is born with a smooth brain; a life-limiting condition that means she will never develop skills beyond that of a 6 month old baby. Her condition also means she has difficulty swallowing and has to be fed artificially. As she passes her tenth birthday things start to become more difficult; she increasingly seems to be in pain but the medical team are not sure why and Emma cannot tell them. Her consultants eventually trace the source of her pain to her intestines and slowly they realise that they can no longer feed her artificially. They are all agreed that feeding must be withheld to ease her pain but they know that would ultimately lead to her death. Although her prognosis has always been shortened, Emma is not otherwise dying - her heart is strong, her kidneys are functioning, and she breathes without difficulty. Withholding nutrition would bring her life to an end over the coming weeks; should the team be making those decisions in a child who is not already dying? Joan Bakewell leads a panel of experts to discuss. Producer: Lorna Stewart Photo Credit: Joe Raedle /Getty Images.