Considering the Developing Entity in an Artificial Womb as a Patient.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Neonatal Medicine
• Reproductive Technology

Background:

• Artificial womb (AW) prototypes are advancing, raising questions about the moral status of fetuses gestated outside the human body.
• Current debates classify AWs as either advanced incubators or novel entities requiring distinct ethical consideration.
• This ambiguity impacts treatment decisions and the ethical framework for developing entities in AWs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework for the ethical treatment of developing entities within artificial wombs.
• To address the moral status debate by considering AWs in the context of partial ectogenesis.
• To establish ethical guidelines for medical interventions and decision-making concerning fetuses in AWs.

Main Methods:

• Transposing Chervenak and McCullough's "The fetus as a patient" framework to partial ectogenesis.
• Analyzing the ethical implications of informed consent from pregnant persons for AW transfer.
• Applying the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence to developing entities in AWs.

Main Results:

• Developing entities in AWs should be ethically considered patients, regardless of their legal or moral personhood.
• Physician obligations of beneficence and non-maleficence extend to these developing entities.
• AWs represent a medical intervention requiring a patient-centered ethical approach.

Conclusions:

• AWs necessitate a re-evaluation of fetal patient status in the context of partial ectogenesis.
• Ethical treatment of developing entities in AWs hinges on recognizing them as patients.
• This patient-centered approach ensures appropriate medical care and decision-making for fetuses in artificial wombs.