Baby bred to provide stem cells for sister
BMJ 2000; 321 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7266.918/f (Published 14 October 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;321:918
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Dear Sir/Madam,
Adam is a precious baby and his very worth could make his
parents/relatives over protective of him. His very childlike playful
tendencies could be curbed if his parents suspected that playing a
particular sport could result in loss of limb/life e.g. as in swimming.
While I sympathise with Molly's plight she still has a 15% chance of
failure.If so would they perform a bone marrow aspiration on Adam ?
What would happen if (God forbid) Adam had an illness/injury/accident
that was so serious that he would surely die or remain in permanent
vegetative state? Would he be continually resuscitated or 'supported' on
life prolonging devices to serve the interests of Molly?
Could Molly be 'blackmailed' into submission during decision making
of any sort just by reminding her of her sense of obligation towards Adam?
Lisa and Jack may long be gone but the two children will live longer
constantly agonising over what is right or wrong
during decision making and so will it be with other children
born/bred similarly.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Although Mengele is well published, one would do well to remember
that very similar testing was done in the good old USA. Of course, this
did not receive the same press, nor did it possess the shear magnitude of
the Nazi movement.
I agree there are lines being crossed, however, I find it hard to
condemn this or any couple who will use this process. They can use their
bodies any way they would like, until it infringes on the rights of
another person. This couple is getting a son they will love and cherish
and keeping a daughter they already love. While many children are born
into this world unwanted, abandoned, and mistreated, these children are
wanted.
In the past, nature took care of breeding these diseases out of the
human race. In this future, we are able to prolong and enhance the lives
of many affected persons. While I applaud these advances, I also applaud
our new ability which enables carriers of disease to be able to have
children free of the disease. I know that I would not wish or any other
disease on my own children any more than I would withhold their childhood
immunizations.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Well now we sink into the abyss from which there is no return. But
hey, it doesn't matter that a child is "bred" to enable another to live.
It just makes you so proud to be a human doesn't it, to think that we
have achieved so much. I guess we can thank Mengele and the boys from the
concentration camps for showing us the way.
What next? How much further will humanity go before they realise what
they are doing is so wrong, I tell you what, let's breed from Mary and
Jodies parents and then we can transplant some organs over. Yep that would
sort the current problem out, or better still, we can start breeding
babies for organ transplantation etc.
Buy one baby get one free soon coming to your nearest supermarket!
Blue eyed, blonde haired oh and very bright according to the genetic make
up!!
Even China's birth control policy seems less barbaric than this.
The medical profession will reap what it sows in the end.
Frightening.
Competing interests: No competing interests
First of all I must compliment Deborah Josefson and the BMJ on the
balanced article on "having a baby that will serve as a donor for its
sibbling"
It may be a new step on the road of (the use of) reproductive technology.
However, I do not think we have crossed a line, as some say. Babies always
were a means to an end, namely procreation. A largely instinctive and not
well understood proces drives animals to procreate. Circumstances dictate
the ways in which we use this ability, e.g. many children are conceived
when child mortality is high and even some children are willfully killed
when they have the "wrong" sex. We probably also choose our mate because
of procreational considerations.
And now the goal for conceiving Adam is different from the one we are used
to, although we hardly understand this usual goal. And the element of
chance has been eliminated, or rather we understand/control the process.
Some said about Adam that he will be loved very much. And since that is
more than will befall lots of children, we should be careful in judging
this "case".
Competing interests: No competing interests
Unwanted advocacy
Penny Mellor declares herself a Child Advocate. She refers to the
News Extra article about baby Adam in Chicago who was "selected" so that
his 6 year old sister, Molly, who was dying from Fanconi's anaemia, could
live. What did the parents decide, and the doctors do, that caused Ms
Mellor to obscenely liken their difficult decision to the Nazis and
flippantly to "Mengele and the boys"? Baby Adam was one of ten of his
mum's fertilised ova who was very close genetically to Molly.He was then
placed in his mother's womb (IVF). Nine months later he had blood
withdrawn from his umbilical cord and stem cells given to his sister.
Being born and simultaneously saving his sister's life is a double
blessing to the Nash family. May I quote their father, Jack: "Molly loved
to dance but had been too ill for the past six months. The other night she
and I were playing in her room and a song came on and she got on the floor
and started dancing. That is when we knew that this was the right thing to
have done"*
Perhaps Ms Mellor has already written to the Nash family enclosing a
copy of her missive entitled "And wouldn't the Nazi's (sic) be so proud".
This "advocacy" children can well do without.
* The Herald (Glasgow) 19/10/00 Born-to-order baby saves ill sister's
life.
Competing interests: No competing interests