By Rozhan Mazani
Artificial womb technology shocked the whole world in 2017 when a lamb was born in an artificial womb. This evoked a lot of debate on the ethics of this topic. Many have asked if an artificial womb can grow a human fetus and the pros and cons associated with this technology.
What is an artificial womb?
An artificial womb is essentially a device designed to offer an extremely prematurely born infant a womb-like atmosphere. In most of the technologies, the infant usually floats in a clear "biobag" surrounded by fluid. The idea is that preemies might spend some weeks continuing to develop in this device after birth, allowing them to transition better to conventional treatment. One major limiting factor for survival with babies born extremely prematurely is lung development. In an artificial womb, the babies' lungs would be filled with lab-made amniotic fluid instead of air, much like it was before birth.
First-ever artificial womb
In 2017, scientists at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced that they could support life in an artificial womb. The lamb fetuses had a normal gestation period without most of the complications associated with early birth and were otherwise healthy. It is important to note that this technology was not created for the first time; earlier experiments in Tokyo during the 1990s were conducted but were not successful. Premature birth is the main cause of death in newborn babies worldwide. Currently, there is no hope for premature neonates who have been delivered before 22 weeks. Artificial womb technology may change this grim reality.
When will this technology be tried out on humans?
This technology has so far been tried on approximately 300 lamb fetuses with promising results. For the company to proceed to try it on humans, an investigational device exemption is needed by the FDA. The FDA would have to be convinced that babies within the mechanical womb are going to benefit as well as those receiving current care.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Womb Technology
It is a fact that artificial womb technologies may be applied to fetuses in the age group of 22–25 weeks, which would reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality. This technology would be used to assist maternal health and spare the agony for parents to see their premature infant ventilated in an intensive care setting. A disadvantage of this technology is that it would involve a Caesarean section (also known as a C-section). From a broader social viewpoint, artificial womb technology will minimize neonatal comorbidities, thus making it less costly overall. On the other hand, it may lead to a more intensive need for care by infants who would otherwise not have survived. Yet another positive outcome could be the improved perception regarding physiology and the process of development in fetuses, as the technology aids our vision of gestation. There is a difference between utilizing this technology for the management of health and non-health-related reasons, such as contraception. Fully ectogenetic pregnancy may still be considered abstract, but it has raised public interest with sensational headlines and discussions.
What are the ethical concerns?
Some concerns arise about ensuring proper informed consent from parents desperate to save their babies. If artificial wombs work, much larger ethical issues will emerge. For instance, what does this technology mean for a woman's right to choose if she decides to end her pregnancy at 21 or 22 weeks? This technology is at the moment strictly a speculative concept. Yet, the supposition that it provides an alternative to abortion has made it a target of both alarmist warnings from some feminists and hopeful predictions by others as a way to free women and provide further equality between the sexes. Artificial wombs for humans appear closer than ever, but, beyond the hype, most of the pros and cons have to be weighed with a host of legal and ethical implications.
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