Anencephalic Children as Organ Sources
Running Head: ANENCEPHALIC CHILDREN AS ORGAN SOURCES
Anencephalic Children as Organ Sources: A Review of the Literature
Gissel Aranda
University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract
Anencephaly is a brain defect that inhibits the complete formation of the brain and the skull during pregnancy. This disease has no cure and the life expectancy is very low since there is only function of vital organs like the heart and the lungs (provided by their brain stem) for only a limited time. Its causes are unknown but it is believed that it is caused by environmental and genetic factors, as well as the lack of intake of folic acid by the pregnant mothers. The shortage of organ donors today has come to raise the proposal of using anencephalic infants as organ sources in order to save the lives of children who may have the opportunity to live. Although, it has been debated through the years that using anencephalic infants as organ sources may not be an ethical or legal practice as demanded in the “dead donor” rule, it is still a very controversial issue on whether it is preferable to give a better quality of life to this infant or to provide the opportunity to live to another child.
Anencephalic Children and Organ Donation: A Review of the Literature
As of today, organ donation has become a well-accepted medical practice by our modern society. However, the high costs of organ transplantation and the high demand of organs by infants, has been limited by the relatively small number of organs available for these children. This situation has motivated many scientists involved in the medical field to look for alternative approaches in order to supply the high demand of organs that is required year by year by a huge amount of children. Some of the sources that have been proposed as potential organ donators or sources are other animal species, human fetuses and dying children or newborns with terminal illnesses as anencephaly. All of these proposals have caused debate
Anencephalic Children as Organ Sources: A Review of the Literature
Gissel Aranda
University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract
Anencephaly is a brain defect that inhibits the complete formation of the brain and the skull during pregnancy. This disease has no cure and the life expectancy is very low since there is only function of vital organs like the heart and the lungs (provided by their brain stem) for only a limited time. Its causes are unknown but it is believed that it is caused by environmental and genetic factors, as well as the lack of intake of folic acid by the pregnant mothers. The shortage of organ donors today has come to raise the proposal of using anencephalic infants as organ sources in order to save the lives of children who may have the opportunity to live. Although, it has been debated through the years that using anencephalic infants as organ sources may not be an ethical or legal practice as demanded in the “dead donor” rule, it is still a very controversial issue on whether it is preferable to give a better quality of life to this infant or to provide the opportunity to live to another child.
Anencephalic Children and Organ Donation: A Review of the Literature
As of today, organ donation has become a well-accepted medical practice by our modern society. However, the high costs of organ transplantation and the high demand of organs by infants, has been limited by the relatively small number of organs available for these children. This situation has motivated many scientists involved in the medical field to look for alternative approaches in order to supply the high demand of organs that is required year by year by a huge amount of children. Some of the sources that have been proposed as potential organ donators or sources are other animal species, human fetuses and dying children or newborns with terminal illnesses as anencephaly. All of these proposals have caused debate
References: American Academy of Pediatrics. (2001). Infants with Anencephaly as Organ Sources: Ethical Considerations. Pediatrics, 86, 1116-1125. Aranda, G.P. (2010). [Graph illustrating the knowledge and opinion about organ donation from anencephalic sources] Lagay, F. (2005). Considering Organ Donation by Anencephalic Neonates. Virtual Mentor, 8. Lawton, K. (2010, August 20). Organ Donation. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/august-20-2010/organ-donation/6830/ Meinke, S National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2010, May 6). NINDS Anencephaly Information Page. Retrieved October 08, 2010, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anencephaly/anencephaly.htm Pasquerella L, Smith S, & Ladd R Sytsma S. (2006). Anencephalics as organ sources. Theoretical Medicine, 1, 19-32. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2009, May 12). Medline Plus Anencephaly. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001580.htm Walters J, Ashwal S, & Masek T.(2007)