Recently in biomedical ethics Category
Many moms who have the twin version of this condition (twin to twin transfusion) are advised to abort one or both of the babies - and many OBs are not aware of the option of the laser procedure that can save many of these babies.
Also, please note that the community has set up a fundraising site to help the parents with the extraordinary expenses involved here. There is a lot that insurance doesn't cover....
"The new frontiers reached in bioethics do not require us to choose between science and morality: rather, they oblige us to a moral use of science." Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, January 31, 2008
On some levels, Christians dropped the ball a few years ago by allowing those who practice the religion of secularism to define the language and the terms. They used a very successful tactic of creating a dichotomy between faith and reason. But faith is more than mere credulity, and reason is more than narrow and cold logic.
If science is the act of discovering how the world works, and the world was created by God, how can there truly be a dichotomy? It is mainly that we are like the blind men and the elephant, each of us seeing only our own small bit of the puzzle. "We see as through a glass, darkly".
Husband's love and a rollicking save coma wife - Telegraph
They were ready to shut off her life support - one wonders how many other cases like this we haven't heard about.
Giving birth becomes the latest job outsourced to India as commercial surrogacy takes off
Does this exploit women? Does this contribute to the idea of a child as a possession rather than a person?
I just came off of a 24 hour plus labor so I am a little bit spacy. I heard from family that Emma has been 'promoted' out of NICU into the Special Care unit - she is doing that well right now. I am told that it is basically 'unheard of' for a gastro baby to spend so little time in NICU.....The real downside is that the stepdown unit isn't as family friendly as the NICU - not the people but the architecture makes it more difficult. And it is likely that Emma will bounce back and forth between NICU and Special care.
She will be getting an MRI in order for the neuro folks to decide the best course of action regarding her shunt. For the MRI, she will need to be sedated and that might mean some time back in the NICU - or maybe not. We are still in a waiting and holding pattern.
All the prayers have really been effective. They are all appreciated.
Wall Street Journal Examines Down Syndrome Detection Test (Nuchal Translucency) - Kaisernetwork.org
An ultrasound test called nuchal translucency increasingly is being used as a method to detect the risk that an infant will be born with Down syndrome, the Wall Street Journal reports. The test involves a blood screening followed by an ultrasound about one week later at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation to determine the size of a fetus and the thickness of its neck. (snip)
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in January recommended that all pregnant women be offered nuchal translucency. Based on the personalized risk assessment, a woman can then decide whether to undergo a test, such as chorionic villus sampling, or an amniocentesis, both of which detect almost all cases of Down syndrome but have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to the Journal. About one in 800 infants is born with Down syndrome, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 5/8).
We spend several minutes of the first prenatal visit talking with moms (and dads) about all the optional testing available to them. Thanks to ACOG, we must discuss screening to see if the parents carry the genes for CF. Thanks to a few "wrongful life" lawsuits, we must discuss maternal serum screening with all, and amniocentesis with moms over the age of 35. Now, we must also discuss the above cited 'early' Down Syndrome screening.
I work within the system, but there are many days when I just want to become an outlaw, a rebel. I won't. I realize that my rebellious reactions are not necessarily what I am called to! but I do get so very frustrated, I really do.
Power of Prayer: Amelia White
Thank God for the Catholic hospital who followed the rules.
President Bush Proclaims National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2007
Full text of proclamation follows:
America was founded on the principle that we are all endowed by our Creator with the right to life and that every individual has dignity and worth. National Sanctity of Human Life Day helps foster a culture of life and reinforces our commitment to building a compassionate society that respects the value of every human being.
Among the most basic duties of Government is to defend the unalienable right to life, and my Administration is committed to protecting our society's most vulnerable members. We are vigorously promoting parental notification laws, adoption, abstinence education, crisis pregnancy programs, and the vital work of faith-based groups. Through the "Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002," the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003," and the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004," we are helping to make our country a more hopeful place.
One of our society's challenges today is to harness the power of science to ease human suffering without sanctioning practices that violate the dignity of human life. With the right policies, we can continue to achieve scientific progress while living up to our ethical and moral responsibilities.
National Sanctity of Human Life Day serves as a reminder that we must value human life in all forms, not just those considered healthy, wanted, or convenient. Together, we can work toward a day when the dignity and humanity of every person is respected.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, January 21, 2007, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
warning - pdf formatCatholic Sexual Ethics
The January 2007 edition of Columbia, the magazine of the KofC, is full of excellent articles on pro-life issues.
