The Suleman octuplet case: an analysis of multiple ethical issues

Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
M Sara Rosenthal

Abstract

The Suleman octuplet case is the first reported case in which surviving octuplets were born as a result of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. In this case, the octuplets were born to an American single mother of six children, who was on public assistance, and who used a sperm donor. This has raised multiple ethical questions, which include the ethical obligations of the health care providers involved, the informed consent process, as well as moral obligations of the mother to her existing children and unborn children. This case analysis provides a clinical ethics and prenatal ethics framework, based on relevant American media and public documents available from January 26, 2009, to January 26, 2010, the period of time in which media scrutiny of this case was most relevant. Although this analysis introduces broader ethical implications, it is not intended as a philosophical discourse regarding the rights of patients to reproduce or the rights of society to place limits on who can and who cannot reproduce; neither is it intended as an in-depth policy review of reproductive technologies. Rather, this analysis focuses on clinical ethics breaches in this particular case, which led to an unintended outcome. The relevant clin...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1996·The Journal of Maternal-fetal Medicine·F A Chervenak, L B McCullough
Feb 3, 1998·European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology·F A Chervenak, L B McCullough
Nov 26, 1999·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·L A SchieveL S Wilcox
Apr 17, 2001·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·F A Chervenak, L B McCullough
Jan 18, 2002·The New England Journal of Medicine·Maureen HackNancy Klein
Mar 8, 2002·The New England Journal of Medicine·Laura A SchieveLynne S Wilcox
Mar 1, 1992·Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology : the Official Journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology·R J Lilford
Mar 1, 1992·Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology : the Official Journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology·F A ChervenakR J Wapner
Nov 1, 2003·Perspectives in Biology and Medicine·Alfred I Tauber
Jan 3, 2004·American Journal of Perinatology·Frank A Chervenak, Laurence B McCullough
Jan 27, 2004·Seminars in Perinatology·Frank A ChervenakZev Rosenwaks
May 18, 2004·International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics : the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics·B M Dickens, R J Cook
May 19, 2004·Bioethics·Christopher Meyers
Nov 10, 2005·Thoracic Surgery Clinics·James W JonesBruce W Richman
Aug 31, 2007·Human Reproduction·UNKNOWN ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law includingP Devroey
Jun 24, 2008·Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology : the Journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology·R KhanB Dawlatly
Sep 2, 2008·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Carson Strong
Sep 2, 2008·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Anne Drapkin LyerlyRuth R Faden
Sep 2, 2008·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Stephen D Brown
Nov 26, 2008·Fertility and Sterility·UNKNOWN Practice Committee of Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, UNKNOWN Practice Committee of American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Jul 7, 2009·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·Frank A Chervenak, Laurence B McCullough
Jul 7, 2009·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·Howard Minkoff, Jeffrey Ecker
Jan 29, 2010·Fertility and Sterility·S Ory
Jan 29, 2010·Fertility and Sterility·M Sara Rosenthal

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Dec 28, 2010·Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health·M Sara Rosenthal

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research
Vanda RepiskáStefan Galbavý
The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
L A Eckenwiler
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved