Beginning of Life Flashcards
what are some key questioons that should be thought about in regards to the start of life?
- 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?
what is important information to think about in regards to who should be parents?
rights and responsibilities of reproduction
the fertility paradox: regulation, access and equity
autonomy versus non-maleficence
societal interference, social justice, social engineering
what should be thought about in regards to the welfare of the potential child
percieved predicted wellbeing
spontaneous vs assisted conception
criteria for fostering and adoption
indeal vs real families
is it someitmes better not to be born?
whata re some techniques for assisted reproduction?
- Artificial insemination
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Preimplantation sperm injection
- Gamete donation
- Embryo donation
- Use of artificial gametes
- Reproductive cloning
what are some oppotunities (good and bad) in which assisted reproduction may be used?
Good:
- Treatment of infertility
- Single and same sex parents
- Prevention of inherited conditions
- Fertility preservation
Bad:
- Sex selection
- “Designer babies”
- The reproduction industry
what should be thought about in regards to the treatment of infertility?
- 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?
Choosing your children:
Disability free versus designer babies?
What are ways and reasons that this can be done?
- 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
what are the arugments relating to sex selection?
- Undermining the status of women
- Gender ratio imbalance
- Against nature
- Slippery slope
- Parental love
- Virtue of acceptance
what are the impacts of social egg freezing?
- Impact of age of fertility in women
- Technology available
- More reproductive control
- Financial implications
- Preventive medicine or reproductive sloth
- Pregnancies beyond menopausal age
The reproduction industry:
- Donor _______
- ________ mothers
- New opportunities for _________
- Problems with ______
- Potential for ________
gametes
Surrogate
parenthood
access
exploitation
What are the effects of the reproduction industry?
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
when thinking about the moral status of an embryo, what is a common question that is raised?
When does life begin?
- Moment of life and the primitive streak
- Pain and neurological development
- Embryonic stem cells
Abortion:
____________ sexual and reproductive rights of women
Acknowledges
Abortion:
what can unwanted pregnancy do to someone?
Unwanted pregnancy can harm physical & mental heath
Abortion:
does safe abortion save lives?
Safe abortion saves lives globally
Abortion:
A potential human is ___ a child
not
Abortion:
do wanted children do better?
Wanted children thrive
Abortion:
• ______ of the rights of the embryo/fetus
Denial
Abortion:
__________ the potential for life
Eliminating
Abortion:
what can be used as an alternative?
contraception
what are the different ways of pre-natal screening?
- Triple test (AFP, Estrio, beta hCG) for Chromosomal anomalies
- Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT)
- Screening vs diagnostic test
what questions should be thought about in regards to pre-natal screening
- Which conditions should be tested for?
- Whose decision should it be?
- Linked to decision to terminate pregnancy?
Maternal versus fetal interests:
- Fetal therapy/surgery involving maternal risk
- Delivery for fetal or maternal interest
- Maternal autonomy and status of fetus
- Competence for informed consent
in regards to neonatal care (care a baby born premature) what needs to be though about?
- The right to be resuscitated
- Criteria for resuscitation
- Living a disability free life: who decides
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?
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
what are ethical issues to consider at the start of life?
- 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?
what are 2 different types of cloning?
reproductive cloning
therapeutic cloning
