A Norwegian academic has suggested using the bodies of women declared ‘brain-dead’ to grow unborn babies.
“Whole body gestational donation offers an alternative means of gestation for prospective parents who wish to have children but cannot, or prefer not to, gestate,” wrote Anna Smajdor, a professor of Philosophy and Ethics at the University of Oslo.
Smajdor argues that using women who have been declared “brainstem dead” as hosts to carry a child to term could be a viable and ethical option in the future.
“We already know that pregnancies can be successfully carried to term in brain-dead women,” the Norwegian professor stated. “There is no obvious medical reason why initiating such pregnancies would not be possible.”
In her article, Smajdor discussed ethical concerns that may arise regarding what she calls “Whole Body Gestational Donation” (WBGD). She argues that if one accepts the modern practice of organ donation from brain-dead humans, then WBGD represents only a “difference in degree” to that practice.
“WBGD involves treating the patient’s dead body as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself,” the ethics professor stated. “The patient moves from being the focus of medical concern, to being a repository of tissues that can be used to benefit others.”
“Yet this is already a part of our organ donation process,” she continued. “Organ donors are almost invariably patients who are already being ventilated, as part of their medical treatment. If the patient is deemed to be a suitable organ donor, ventilation will be continued along with other interventions to ensure that the organs will be maintained for transplant in optimal condition.”
Smajdor concludes that “if we regard WBGD as being clearly outrageous, this suggests we have some uncomfortable questions to answer about the future of cadaveric organ donation.”
There are indeed major moral problems with the practice of organ donation, as LifeSiteNews journalists
have reported for years. Thus, Smajdor correctly draws a logical connection between her WBGD idea and organ donations.
The problem with the practice of organ donation and organ harvesting is that the prerequisite that someone’s organs can be removed is that the person is declared “brain-dead.” However, someone who is declared brain-dead could arguably still be alive, since she may still have a normal pulse and blood pressure, digest food, and display other signs of life. Pregnant “brain-dead” women might even carry a baby to term, as Smajdor herself points out.
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