Unethical foetal surgery

In 1995 it was reported that some of the latest research in foetal surgery includes:

1. injecting healthy stem cells (of liver or bone marrow) purified from aborted foetuses into foetuses with hereditary deficiency diseases, such as thalassaemia;

2. transplanting parts or whole organs from one foetus into another;

3. creating chimeras, not only by foetal to foetal transplants (1 and 2 above) but also by cross-species transplantation, human-sheep, human-monkey and human-mouse (to date only tested by making animal chimeras containing human cells); and

4. growing limbs and other parts of aborted foetuses for open-womb plastic surgery of deficient foetuses

1. Before around 12 weeks, foetal tissue does not reject foreign tissue because its immune system is not fully developed. The possibility of inducing pre-birth tolerance of a human donor's tissue (or even xenogeneic (cross-species) tolerance), implies that human (or animal) organs could be used as life-saving transplants in an affected individual after birth.

1. Genetic surgery
2. Excessive replacement surgery

1. Unnecessary open-womb plastic surgery

1. Natural human abortion
2. Inhumane experimental surgery on animals
3. Induced abortion
4. Denial of the rights of foetuses
5. Denial of the right to medical consent

1. Unethical experimentation using aborted foetuses

1. Thalassaemia
2. Genetic defects and diseases

1. Dangerous foetal genetic testing

1. Unethical