The use of anencephalic organs: historical and ethical dimensions

The condition of newborn infants with anencephaly, a neural tube defect, is incurable and uniformly fatal. Although physicians reached a consensus two decades ago on the appropriateness of using these infants' organs, ethical and legal questioning has since challenged the grounds on which medic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Milbank quarterly Vol. 68; no. 2; p. 147
Main Authors Churchill, L R, Pinkus, R L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.1990
Subjects
Anencephaly
Brain Death - diagnosis
Brain Death - legislation & jurisprudence
Child Advocacy
Ethical Analysis
Ethical Theory
Ethics, Medical
Forecasting
History, 20th Century
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Moral Obligations
Parental Consent
Parents
Personhood
Professional Misconduct
Time Factors
Tissue and Organ Procurement - history
Tissue and Organ Procurement - standards
Tissue Donors
United States
United States
Death and Euthanasia
Analytical Approach
Genetics and Reproduction
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Summary:The condition of newborn infants with anencephaly, a neural tube defect, is incurable and uniformly fatal. Although physicians reached a consensus two decades ago on the appropriateness of using these infants' organs, ethical and legal questioning has since challenged the grounds on which medical authorities justified transplantation. Advocates have proposed three conceptual strategies to warrant procuring anencephalics' organs: redefining death, excluding the infants from possessing personhood, and intubating and ventilating them while keeping a vigil for brain death. Each of these conceptual schemes has arguable shortcomings in its construction, however; as such, the case for using anencephalic infants as sources of organs has yet to be conclusively demonstrated.
ISSN:0887-378X
DOI:10.2307/3350093