Ethics at the Beginning of Life

8/12/2019 Ethics at the Beginning of Life

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Ethics at the beginning of life

AbortionEmbryonic stem cell

IVF

Preimplantation screening

Children with serious healthproblems


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Cornerstone of biomedical ethics

Autonomyrespecting an individuals rights of freedom and liberty to make

changes that affect his or her life

Beneficenceacting so as to benefi t others

Non-maleficenceavoiding harming people unnecessarily

Justicetreating people truthfully and fairly


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LEGAL

SCIENTIFIC ETHICAL

RELIGIOUS


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ABORTION

Basic facts in human development

Fertilization Implantation

Embryonic period

Fetal period

The baby is ready for life outside the womb


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ABORTION

What is abortion? Is the termination of pregnancy by removal or expulsion

from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before viability What are the reasons for abortion?

Economic cost

Family planning

Heath

Rape incest

Age

Societys moralism


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ABORTION

What are types of abortion?

Natural/ spontaneous/ accidental abortion Direct/ intentional abortion

Therapeutic abortion

Eugenic/ selective abortion/ abortion on fetal

indication Indirect abortion


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Viewpoints on ABORTION

CONSERVATIVE Abortion is never permissible except it is required to save the

pregnant womans life

Murder?!

LIBERAL Abortion is always permissible, whatever the state of fetal

development is

Women have freedom to control their own reproductive capacities

Fetus is neither an individual nor a person, but only a tissue in

womans uterus. It possesses no rights and no moral status MODERATE

Abortion is morally permissible up to certain stage of fetaldevelopment and some limited sets of situations.


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In my opinion

Taking away the potential of life is morally

wrong Removing a baby is totally different from

removing a tissue in the body. The baby has

potential to grow and contribute to society


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EMBRYONIC STEM CELL

Stem cell Cell that has ability to continuously divide and

differentiate into other kinds of cell

Stem cell type Totipotent: cells from early (1-3 days) embryos

Pluripotent: cells from blastocyst (5-14 days)

Multipotent: differentiated cell can form a numberof other tissues, from fetal tissue, cord blood,adult stem cell


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First mammal cloned from adult cells

1996


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What are we waiting for?

Replaceable tissues/ organs

Repair of defective cell types Delivery of genetic therapies

Delivery of chemotherapeutics agents


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Possible points of contention

Source of cells

Source of funding Autonomy or freedom

Respect for life


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Legal consideration of embryonic stell

cell research

Reproductive cloning: not allowed

Therapeutic cloning: allowed Research on embryo: allowed


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Ethic principles for embryonic stem

cell research

Principle of Respect Embryo is human life which should not be damaged without

reason Because of potential benefit in treating human diseases,research should be allowed and supported.

Principle of Informed consent (autonomy)

Principle of Safety and utility (non-malfeasance)

Principle of Non-commercialization (justice) Tissues and cells should be donated Buying and selling of gametes, embryos and fetal tissues

should not be allowed.


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IVF


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IVF

Process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm

outside the body

A major treatment for infertility when other methods

of assisted reproductive technology have failed

4 basic steps

1. Superovulation

2. Egg collection

3. In vitro fertilisation

4. Embryo transfer


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Fertility treament

Married couple? Single women? Same sex

couple? Too old?


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We are doctors trying to do the best for

our patients

Playing god?

Should embryonic research be banned?

Dealing with creating human life

Unnatural_ Some religious organization disapprove of theprocedure

Have to come with government rules and guidelines


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Complication

Multiple births

Birth defects


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Indication

Sex linked genetic disorders Hemophilia

Duchenne muscular dystrophy Chromosomal disorders

Downs syndrome ( Trisomy 21)

Single gene diseases ( using PCR) Thalassemia

Older women doing IVF Screen embryos foraneuploidy

Recurrent pregnancy loss because of chromosomalanomalies


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Preimplantation screening

Note a cure

Designed baby

To prevent life suffering


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Children with serious health problem

Child with limited viability or lethal syndrome

or life-threatening anomaly Challenging heal care provider

Ethical and legal dilemmas

Effective communication between health

care team and parents is essential


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Children with serious health problem

The baby can not make a decision by himself

Autonomy: end of life decision is made based on

parents moral and religious belief Ensure that parents have a comprehensive

understanding of existing condition

Must respect parent right to make medical decisions

for their own child Be aware of our legal options, when we believe

parents are not making medical decision in the bestinterest of newborn

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Ethics at the Beginning of Life