Fetal therapy, ethics and public policies

Abstract

This article reviews the evolution of ethical problems in the first generation of experimental fetal therapy and the prevailing approaches to them. The problems include: review of risks/benefits, case selection, informed consent, twin pregnancies, and refusal of proven fetal therapy. The article further discusses ethical and public policy issues in the lack of U.S. federal support for fetal diagnosis, fetal therapy, and human embryo research. An argument is made for such support, beginning with experimental gene therapy in the fetus. Ethical principles are identified that support an obligation to learn to relieve and treat such human suffering at the earliest time. Contradictions of these principles are also identified in terms of research not now supported.