Multiple Births Due to Fertility Drugs

1
Multiple Births Due to Fertility Drugs

• Zandra Zamora

2
Thesis

• Using the theory of utilitarianism by Jeremy
  Bentham I will argue that doctors ought to stress
  the importance of performing the procedure,
  selective reduction, on women having multiple
  births due to fertility drugs.

3
In Vitro

• Uses Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonist (GnRH
  agonist)
• such as Lupron, Zoladex, and Synarel
• Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Antagonist (GnRH
  antagonist)
• such as Antagon and Cetrotide
• Shut Down Pituitary Gland
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to make the
  ovaries produce multiple eggs
• Receives human chorionic gonadtropin (hCG)
  injection to stimulate maturation in the
  follicles
• Thirty-four to thirty-six hours later the mature
  eggs are collected by needle aspiration guided by
  ultrasound
• Placed together in a dish the eggs and sperm are
  incubated with careful temperature, atmospheric,
  and infection control for forty-eight to one
  hundred twenty hours
• Two to five days after the fertilization, the
  eggs that are best fertilized are selected

4
Moral Issue

• Woman becoming pregnant with multiple embryos.
• Complications include miscarriage, anemia,
  urinary tract infection (UTI), high blood
  pressure and organ damage, hemorrhaging,
  increased possibility of cesarean delivery.
• Cesarean delivery due to complications called
  polyhydramnios, placenta abruption or placenta
  previa.

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Continued. . .

• Fifty-three percent of twins and ninety-two
  percent of triplets are born prematurely.
• Average single babies are only at an eight
  percent risk of being born prematurely
• Babies that survive the pregnancy and are born
  are three to five times more likely to die within
  the first twenty-eight days of life
• Respiratory failure or Sudden Infant Death
  Syndrome
• Multi-fetal reduction
• Done with first 9 weeks
• Inject solution of potassium chloride
• Stops heart beat and embryo is absorbed by
  womans body.

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Jeremy Bentham

• Principle of Utility
• Given a choice in social policies, we must
  choose the one that has the best overall results
  for everyone concerned- An existence exempt, as
  far as, possible from pain and as rich as
  possible in enjoyments

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Opposing Argument

• Some will argue fate
• Abortion
• Not even resembling a human yet.
• Religious beliefs

8
Conclusion

• Doctors ought to stress the importance of the
  reduction procedure.
• Less complications
• Higher survival rates
• Woman have been longing this pregnancy for years,
  only to lose their babies.
• Depression
• Time/money
• Long-term complications