Beginning of Life

Question 1

what are some key questioons that should be thought about in regards to the start of life?

Answer 1

• Who should be parents?
• What is the remit of assisted reproduction?
• Should we choose our children?
• What is the status of the embryo and fetus?
• How important is maternal autonomy?

Question 2

what is important information to think about in regards to who should be parents?

Answer 2

rights and responsibilities of reproduction

the fertility paradox: regulation, access and equity

autonomy versus non-maleficence

societal interference, social justice, social engineering

Question 3

what should be thought about in regards to the welfare of the potential child

Answer 3

percieved predicted wellbeing

spontaneous vs assisted conception

criteria for fostering and adoption

indeal vs real families

is it someitmes better not to be born?

Question 4

whata re some techniques for assisted reproduction?

Answer 4

• Artificial insemination
• In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
• Preimplantation sperm injection
• Gamete donation
• Embryo donation
• Use of artificial gametes
• Reproductive cloning

Question 5

what are some oppotunities (good and bad) in which assisted reproduction may be used?

Answer 5

Good:

• Treatment of infertility
• Single and same sex parents
• Prevention of inherited conditions
• Fertility preservation

Bad:

• Sex selection
• “Designer babies”
• The reproduction industry

Question 6

what should be thought about in regards to the treatment of infertility?

Answer 6

• What is infertility?
• Who are infertile - people vs couples
• Absolute versus relative impediment to conception
• Who should be offered treatment?
• What treatment should be offered?
• How should this be funded?

Question 7

Choosing your children:
Disability free versus designer babies?

What are ways and reasons that this can be done?

Answer 7

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
• Pre-implantation genetic testing for anomalies
• Screening for delayed onset conditions
• Sex selection for family balancing
• Seeking disability (deafness and achondroplasia)
• Saviour siblings

Question 8

what are the arugments relating to sex selection?

Answer 8

• Undermining the status of women
• Gender ratio imbalance
• Against nature
• Slippery slope
• Parental love
• Virtue of acceptance

Question 9

what are the impacts of social egg freezing?

Answer 9

• Impact of age of fertility in women
• Technology available
• More reproductive control
• Financial implications
• Preventive medicine or reproductive sloth
• Pregnancies beyond menopausal age

Question 10

The reproduction industry:

• Donor _______
• ________ mothers
• New opportunities for _________
• Problems with ______
• Potential for ________

Answer 10

gametes

Surrogate

parenthood

access

exploitation

Question 11

What are the effects of the reproduction industry?

Answer 11

commercialisation of reproduction

reproductive tourism

need to source donor gamates

global market in surrogate mothers

provides new opportunities for parenthood

there is potential for exploitation

Question 12

when thinking about the moral status of an embryo, what is a common question that is raised?

Answer 12

When does life begin?

• Moment of life and the primitive streak
• Pain and neurological development
• Embryonic stem cells

Question 13

Abortion:

____________ sexual and reproductive rights of women

Answer 13

Acknowledges

Question 14

Abortion:

what can unwanted pregnancy do to someone?

Answer 14

Unwanted pregnancy can harm physical & mental heath

Question 15

Abortion:

does safe abortion save lives?

Answer 15

Safe abortion saves lives globally

Question 16

Abortion:

A potential human is ___ a child

Answer 16

not

Question 17

Abortion:

do wanted children do better?

Answer 17

Wanted children thrive

Question 18

Abortion:

• ______ of the rights of the embryo/fetus

Answer 18

Denial

Question 19

Abortion:

__________ the potential for life

Answer 19

Eliminating

Question 20

Abortion:

what can be used as an alternative?

Answer 20

contraception

Question 21

what are the different ways of pre-natal screening?

Answer 21

• Triple test (AFP, Estrio, beta hCG) for Chromosomal anomalies
• Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT)
• Screening vs diagnostic test

Question 22

what questions should be thought about in regards to pre-natal screening

Answer 22

• Which conditions should be tested for?
• Whose decision should it be?
• Linked to decision to terminate pregnancy?

Question 23

Maternal versus fetal interests:

Answer 23

• Fetal therapy/surgery involving maternal risk
• Delivery for fetal or maternal interest
• Maternal autonomy and status of fetus
• Competence for informed consent

Question 24

in regards to neonatal care (care a baby born premature) what needs to be though about?

Answer 24

• The right to be resuscitated
• Criteria for resuscitation
• Living a disability free life: who decides

Question 25

Neonatal care:

• Prematurity is a major _________ of pregnancy
• __ weeks: age of viability but serious risk of disability
• Extreme prematurity and the right to be __________
• Resuscitation: who decides?

Answer 25

complication

24

resuscitated

Every week that goes one, increased chance of survival

23 weeks is a difficult area

Chance of surface survival is very little but decisions need to be individualised

Question 26

what are ethical issues to consider at the start of life?

Answer 26

• Involves two/three individuals - one without a voice
• Autonomy - for whom?
• Beneficence - for whom?
• Non-maleficence - what is harmful? Harmful for whom?
• Utilitarianism: Individual versus collective good
• Can the end justify the means?

Question 27

what are 2 different types of cloning?

Answer 27

reproductive cloning

therapeutic cloning