Presidential Commission Discusses Regulation of In Vitro Fertilization

Presidential Commission Discusses Regulation of In Vitro Fertilization

by Austin Ruse
President of the Culture of Life Foundation
August 13, 2003

The U.S. President's Council on Bioethics met recently to consider two working papers, one of which suggests that the widespread use of in vitro fertilization for infertile couples may need federal regulation. Commissioners noted that no federal regulation or oversight now exists fora procedure that has produced hundreds of thousands of human embryos, most of which will die, either on their own or through scientific experimentation.

Specifically the papers, written by the professional staff of the
Council, found "assisted reproductive technologies" (ART) in the U.S. to be in a state of disarray. The papers found that "there is no…oversight of how the new biotechnologies…affect the well being of the children conceived with their aid, egg donors, or gestational mothers" and that "there are no limits on what one can do to or with an embryo, so long as one is privately funded."

Numerous recent scientific journal articles have reported that children born of IVF also face health risks far beyond the risks faced by children born in the natural way.

According to a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine study, IVF babies run roughly double the risk of birth defects, and another study from The Lancet states that they are three times more likely to develop neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy, than babies conceived naturally. Likewise, research published in the Journal of Urology (2003) showed that there is an approximate sevenfold increase in the incidence of certain urological/genital defects in children born through IVF.

The Council paper outlined four primary suggestions on how the U.S. government could regulate "assisted reproductive technologies," including instituting a new regulatory agency, granting new authority to existing regulatory agencies, implementing specific legislative action, and/or utilizing government funding as a regulatory lever.

Possible regulation of IVF would cause a heated debate in the pro-life world. Some would see federal regulation of IVF as implicit approval of a practice that the Catholic Church and others find morally and scientifically objectionable. Others will see value in an incremental regulatory approach to something that may be objectionable but still enjoys widespread support.

There are currently over 400,000 frozen embryonic persons lying in stasis in liquid nitrogen tanks in the U.S. The creation and storage of frozen embryos, caused largely by IVF, leaves these embryos open to being used for experimentation and death.

The President's Council on Bioethics was founded a year ago in order to explore the science, law and ethics related to the various bioethics questions facing the US government, primarily stem cell research and cloning.


Enter your email address to receive news from LifeNews.com via email. Do you prefer to receive news daily or weekly? Daily Weekly Do you favor or oppose abortion? Favor Oppose Click here to make a PayPal donation to LifeNews.com!	Presidential Commission Discusses Regulation of In Vitro Fertilization by Austin Ruse President of the Culture of Life Foundation August 13, 2003 The U.S. President's Council on Bioethics met recently to consider two working papers, one of which suggests that the widespread use of in vitro fertilization for infertile couples may need federal regulation. Commissioners noted that no federal regulation or oversight now exists fora procedure that has produced hundreds of thousands of human embryos, most of which will die, either on their own or through scientific experimentation. Specifically the papers, written by the professional staff of the Council, found "assisted reproductive technologies" (ART) in the U.S. to be in a state of disarray. The papers found that "there is no…oversight of how the new biotechnologies…affect the well being of the children conceived with their aid, egg donors, or gestational mothers" and that "there are no limits on what one can do to or with an embryo, so long as one is privately funded." Numerous recent scientific journal articles have reported that children born of IVF also face health risks far beyond the risks faced by children born in the natural way. According to a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine study, IVF babies run roughly double the risk of birth defects, and another study from The Lancet states that they are three times more likely to develop neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy, than babies conceived naturally. Likewise, research published in the Journal of Urology (2003) showed that there is an approximate sevenfold increase in the incidence of certain urological/genital defects in children born through IVF. The Council paper outlined four primary suggestions on how the U.S. government could regulate "assisted reproductive technologies," including instituting a new regulatory agency, granting new authority to existing regulatory agencies, implementing specific legislative action, and/or utilizing government funding as a regulatory lever. Possible regulation of IVF would cause a heated debate in the pro-life world. Some would see federal regulation of IVF as implicit approval of a practice that the Catholic Church and others find morally and scientifically objectionable. Others will see value in an incremental regulatory approach to something that may be objectionable but still enjoys widespread support. There are currently over 400,000 frozen embryonic persons lying in stasis in liquid nitrogen tanks in the U.S. The creation and storage of frozen embryos, caused largely by IVF, leaves these embryos open to being used for experimentation and death. The President's Council on Bioethics was founded a year ago in order to explore the science, law and ethics related to the various bioethics questions facing the US government, primarily stem cell research and cloning.