Assisted procreation: too little consideration for the babies?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is increasingly utilized for infertility treatment.
• Studies indicate higher risks of cerebral palsy and congenital malformations in IVF-conceived infants compared to naturally conceived infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the ethical permissibility of parental acceptance of risks associated with IVF for offspring.
• To determine if IVF can be considered a therapeutic intervention for a child prior to conception.

Main Methods:

• Ethical analysis of parental risk acceptance in reproductive technologies.
• Review of existing literature on IVF outcomes and risks.
• Philosophical argumentation regarding procreative beneficence and non-maleficence.

Main Results:

• Parents can ethically accept risks for offspring only to avert a greater harm to the child.
• IVF does not present a worse possibility from which to preserve a future child, as the decision precedes conception.
• The risks associated with IVF are not justified as a therapeutic measure for the unborn child.

Conclusions:

• The ethical justification for accepting IVF-related risks on behalf of offspring is questionable.
• Current procreative technologies, including IVF, require substantial further research.
• Ethical guidelines and parental counseling regarding IVF risks need re-evaluation.