Anencephalic Newborns as Organ Donors: A Critique
- John D. Arras, PhD;
- Shlomo Shinnar, MD, PhD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
THE DEBATE over whether anencephalic newborns should be used as organ donors1,2 has entered a new phase with the recent announcements from West Germany3 and California (New York Times, Oct 19, 1987, p Al) of kidney and heart transplants from anencephalic newborns. As we move from deliberation and debate to action, there is an urgent need to reflect on the ethical implications of this controversial procedure.
The Issues The case for taking hearts, paired kidneys, and other vital organs from anencephalic newborns is based on two distinct needs. First, there are many chronically ill infants, children, and adults who may benefit from organ transplant, and there is a relative scarcity of available donors. Second, there is the need of the parents of an anencephalic infant to salvage some good from a tragic situation. Allowing the infant to be used as an organ donor may help satisfy this need.
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Division of Pediatric Neurology, VCP-207, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY 10467 (Dr Shinnar).
