Question

Scenario 1:

A couple has three children, ages 12, 9, and 6. The 12-year-old has leukemia that has not responded to treatment thus far. The oncologist recommends a bone marrow transplant, but there are no suitable matches. If the couple were to become pregnant, the baby may be a suitable match, and stem cells from the cord blood could be used for the bone marrow transplant. They speak with a fertility specialist about in vitro fertilization and learn that genetic screening is commonly performed on embryos. In this case, they would be able to select an embryo most likely to be a human leukocyte antigen match for the 12-year-old. The couple feels that if the procedure is successful and saves their 12-year-old, they will be doubly blessed with the addition of another child to their family.

Question 1: How would you defend the couple’s decision to have a baby selected by genetic screening on the basis of autonomy?

Question 2: How could the ethical principle of autonomy be used to critique the couple’s decision to have a baby selected by genetic screening?

Answer 1

1.A women has a complete legal rights to plan and decide about the pregnancy in the life.Being in a place of parents especially mother ,she will only think of saving their children at any cost and in all possible ways sparing nothing.On the basis of principle of autonomy it is the decision of the mother acceptable but it a controversy on other side that a baby is to be conceived for undergoing a genetic screening for benefiting another life without its consent.The recent laws states that right from conceiving (sperm and ovum fusing) a life begins and it is morally unacceptable way of subjecting the embryo to a procedure.

2.It is an ethical concern of causing an intentional injury or threat to it during growth by undergoing an embryonic test. A test can be advantageous in many way but it is a certainty that there are chances of disadvantages like injuring the embryo during division may lead to congenital anamolies which the foetus really doesn't deserves.Hence it can be critiqued by saying that the couple as a made a decision which can put the frtus under risk before birth.