http://www.alliancealert.org news from the frontlines of the culture war Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/law-review-how-will-artificial-wombs-affect-the-legal-status-of-a-fetus-or-embryo/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/law-review-how-will-artificial-wombs-affect-the-legal-status-of-a-fetus-or-embryo/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:30:20 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=79802 Development of Ectogenesis: How Will Artificial Wombs Affect the Legal Status of a Fetus or Embryo? Jessica H. Schultz, 84 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 877 (2010) "Artificial womb technology would allow conception and fetal development to occur completely independent of a woman's womb or allow a fetus to be transferred from a woman's womb to an artificial womb for the remainder of its gestation. Both of these possibilities raise a variety of legal and ethical questions. Some commentators see ectogenesis, which is the process of the embryo or fetus developing in a device outside of the body, as a valuable medical development. For example, ectogenesis could help those who cannot carry a pregnancy have genetic children without a surrogate and could also save the lives of premature babies. Others assert that the development of artificial wombs will cause babies to be treated as commodities and will debase women by replacing one of a woman's most unique natural abilities with man-made technology. The potential of this technology is fraught with legal questions, including how artificial wombs will affect the potential father's and the state's interest in the fetus; whether contracts regarding artificial wombs might be enforceable; and who would bear liability for mishaps that might occur due to artificial womb use. *878 Part I of this note will provide an overview of the steps scientists have made towards creating an artificial womb and the obstacles that remain. Part II will discuss the balance of maternal, paternal, and state interests in an embryo or fetus grown in an artificial womb. Part III will examine the enforceability of contracts concerning embryos or fetuses in artificial wombs. Part IV will discuss potential liability issues that could arise if artificial wombs are created. Finally, Part V will propose solutions for some of the most controversial issues that would arise should an artificial womb be developed. Exploring these questions makes it clear that the development of ectogenesis will increase, rather than resolve, the complexity of issues regarding reproductive rights and the legal status of an embryo or fetus." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/02/law-review-how-will-artificial-wombs-affect-the-legal-status-of-a-fetus-or-embryo/feed/ 0