Conceiving a fetus for bone marrow donation: An ethical problem in prenatal diagnosis |
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Authors: | Robin Dawn Clark M. D. John Fletcher Gloria Petersen |
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Affiliation: | 1. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A.;2. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | We present a family who sought prenatal diagnosis in order to bear a healthy child to serve as an HLA–identical bone marrow donor for their son affected with Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome. They intended to abort HLA-incompatible fetuses who would have been unsuitable bone marrow donors. This case led us to conclude that prenatal diagnosis should not be used to benefit a third party or facilitate the conception or abortion of a fetus for the purpose of generating an organ for transplantation. The limits of parental autonomy and physician responsibility are discussed. |
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Keywords: | Ethics of prenatal diagnosis Fetal organ donors Organ/bone marrow transplantation |
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