Fetal research both saves and betters lives

[question everything]

Research on fetuses is pro-life. More specifically, it saves babies’ lives and prevents babies from becoming disabled.

It is a terrible contradiction. Human fetuses are obtained from women who are having abortions. Studies show that women do not choose abortions in order to assist research on fetuses. Rather, they donate the fetus after having chosen to have an abortion. Opponents of abortion who are waging war on fetal research are also at war with improvements in prenatal care that are saving lives and preventing disability today.

It is obvious that surgeons need to know anatomy in order to do surgery. The recent development of prenatal surgery comes from studies of fetuses. Lifesaving heart surgery is done on unborn fetuses to prevent them from dying of heart-valve disease. Lifesaving surgery before birth prevents nonidentical twins with different blood types from giving each other mismatched transfusions through short-circuited blood vessels. There is a condition called spina bifida in which the right and left sides of the back do not come together to cover the spinal cord. As the pregnancy progresses, fluid around the fetus damages the spinal cord and the child is born paralyzed and sometimes with brain damage from fluid building up around the brain. These beneficiaries of fetal research become children who walk and learn as they should.

There is more. Surgery before birth removes tumors. It can prevent kidney failure. These are not medical promises for “someday.” These are treatments that are available today.

(snip)

Miscarriages are not a substitute. After a baby dies in the womb, it often remains there for days or several weeks. Those remains are unusable for research.

Some propose that the U.S. outlaw fetal research. That thoughtless policy will simply shift fetal research and the scientists and doctors who do it to other countries. And then any woman who learns that the fetus developing within her has a condition that will cripple or kill will seek medical expertise wherever she can find the expertise to save her beloved child to be.

Dr. Steven H. Miles is a professor of medicine and bioethics at the University of Minnesota.

http://www.startribune.com/fetal-research-both-saves-and-betters-lives/318719001/

[jonno99]

1. Per your moniker I'm questioning fetal research on aborted fetuses.

It is a practice rife for abuse and emits a whiff of smoke that doesn't smell quite right...

[shraby]

2. Take your nose to a site that's more in line with your thinking.

You'll be happier as will I.
If 1 child is saved with the research the donated fetus enabled, it's well worth it, and I'm sure safeguards could be created to eliminate abuses.

[jonno99]

4. Reminds me of a quiz question in Ethics 101:

Does the ends justify the means?

It's a slippery slope argument isn't it? The life of the fetus ends - but the life of (another) child is saved.

You don't think there are any ethical concerns to ponder? You don't think there is a profit incentive by Big Pharma?

[question everything]

5. If it is academic research, which it is

then there are plenty of safeguards, mandated by the university itself. No doubt, the research is sponsored by the NIH and there are guidelines.

Women will have abortion because they think that this is the only alternative. Yes, even late term abortion, there are many heartbreaking stories about women choosing this alternative.

[spanone]

3. k&r...