Anencephaly And Organ Transplantation - Final

Anencephaly and Organ Transplantation The FIGO Standing Committee on Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction discussed aspects of anencephaly and organ transplantation and made the following statement. There have been reports on the use of organs from anencephalic infants for transplantation. It is recognized that the ethical principles of beneficence and protection of the vulnerable can conflict. On the one hand, the principle of beneficence, the imperative of doing good, can apply to a person in need of organs. On the other hand, the principle of protection of the vulnerable newborn might apply in that an anencephalic infant might need protection against being treated only as a means to another’s advantage. In view of the potential ethical issue the following guidelines have been developed by the Committee.

1. The purpose of organ donation constitutes an ethical ground for a woman to choose to maintain an anencephalic pregnancy. Counselling of women and couples regarding organ donation should be undertaken by persons with no conflict of interest.

2. When an infant is born with signs of life but has no forebrain (anencephaly) and hence has no prospect of survival, with parental permission, the child may be placed on a ventilator for the purpose of organ donation following natural death. Any local legal definition of death is binding, but it may have to be reviewed in the light of scientific development of criteria of brain death in neonates. Lyon, June 2007