Ethical Issues

Pros

• The sick child can be saved.
• The parents and children will be happy to have their sibling.
• If the donations are successful, the donor child is treated just like any other child, sometimes better than the sick sibling.
• The siblings often feel closer to each other after finding out that the donor child saved the sick one's life.

Cons

• The donor child is often harmed.
• The donor child's life is often changed for good and debilitated.
• If the donations are unsuccessful, at least 1/3 of parents have problems with blaming the donor child.
• The donor child may feel unwanted, or just like spare parts.
• The donor child may resent the sick sibling, thinking that it's only because of them that they are here.

Religious/Moral Issues

Pros

• Will have helped save a life.
• Aborted fetuses will not have to be used as often for stem cells

Cons

• Should not be created just to give parts of themselves away.
• Children don't have control over their own bodies.
• Are designed and not allowed to develop naturally.

Social Issues

Pros

• Society will praise the child for saving their family members life.
• Could help eradicate some diseases.

Cons

• These children, since they are genetically perfect, could from a new class of humans who are designed to be perfect and will be seen as better than regular humans.
• Society could see these children as just something too use for organs or cells and could be seen as second class people.

Background Information.

Donor babies are children conceived so that they can donate cord blood or organs to family members.  They are usually fertilized outside the womb and are screened to check that they don't carry any diseases.  The first reported case of a child born to donate was Adam Nash who's cord blood was used to save his sister from a rare disorder.  Nine years later his sister is still alive and well and his parents say he doesn't feel bad about why he was born and knows he helped his sister.

Medical Issues

Pros

• the sick child can get better and live


• most donations are blood related, which is not very debilitating and can be done by anyone


• both children are relatively healthy even after the donations


• doctors care about the health of both children, and will not do something too dangerous to the donor child


• 50-75% of donations from partial match children are successful. In complete matches, they are almost 100% successful

Cons

• as young as 6-7 months, donor babies can give organs and pieces of organs


• many of the procedures are very painful and require recovery time in the hospital. Some are even life threatening


• organ donations effect the child's life forever. They are limited in ways they weren't before


• the donations aren't a cure, so the donor child will often have to have more procedures to keep their sibling healthy


• donor children are often at risk for diseases and complications during procedures, especially surgeries

Legal Issues

Pros

• children can decide to stop donations after adulthood
• parents can't do anything too dangerous or debilitating to the donor child

Cons

• parents make all medical decisions until the child reaches adulthood
• donor children don't legally have much say in the matter