Posts Tagged ‘family building’

By Dr. Craig R. Sweet
Medical & Practice Director
Founder, Embryo Donation International

I have welcomed and watched for some time the debate within the Catholic Church about the appropriateness of Catholics “saving” frozen embryos, which is a discussion  that has seen a recent resurgence. I admire both sides of the debate: those who are interpreting steadfastly the teachings of the Church regarding in vitro fertilization, as well as those good people who want to give frozen embryos a chance of life.

Didn’t the Vatican’s Dignatias Personae settle the moral issue?

The 2008 Vatican document Dignatias Personae (The Dignity of a Person), which was intended to provide updated directives on biomedical ethical controversies, may not have settled this moral issue to the satisfaction of all. Because the Catholic Church believes in unconditional respect for all human life from the moment of conception, to some, these teachings seem to be at odds with Catholics who want to save frozen embryos. Both sides, however, are missing an important point.

Why some believe embryo donation/adoption is morally wrong.

Let’s start with the perspective from those who feel it is morally wrong for Catholics to participate in IVF, embryo donation or embryo adoption. While not an expert in any aspects of Catholic theology, I will try to list what I believe are the important talking points:

• The Catholic Church feels IVF separates conception from the immediate act of sexual union between spouses while also improperly treating life as a commodity. IVF, therefore, is morally wrong and using fresh or frozen embryos created from such an act cannot be condoned or justified.
• A husband has a spousal right within the marital bond to his wife’s body and no one but the husband should impregnate his wife. In mutual respect, their bodies belong to each other and no other.
• Gestational surrogacy with donated/adopted embryos violates the covenant of marriage, as these pregnancies are not conceived through a natural act of conjugal love.

Some believe that IVF is morally wrong so using frozen embryos created via IVF cannot be justified.

Why some believe receiving a donated/adopted embryo is morally correct.

Next, let me next provide some of the arguments from those who feel that receiving donated embryos or gestating adopted embryos is morally correct:

• Keeping the embryos frozen indefinitely is an ongoing injustice and affront to the embryo’s dignity.
• Accepting donated/adopted embryos is similar to the adoption of a child, which is certainly encouraged by the church. Think of it as a “prenatal adoption”.
• A women who adopts and is able to breast feed a child, which is allowed by the Church, is providing nourishment. One can then surmise that carrying a donated/adopted embryo in the womb, thereby providing nourishment is no different.
• Surrogacy, under extreme circumstances, may be morally correct when a woman or the child would be severely harmed if the woman tried to carry and deliver a pregnancy.
• Pregnancy occurs without having sex with another, so the marital bond remains intact.
• Rescuing and receiving embryos ultimately protects the sanctity of life.

Others believe that life is sacred and that Catholics should be allowed to save frozen embryos.

Simply stated, those that believe it is immoral to receive donated/adopted embryos do not feel the ends justify the means when the means used, i.e., in vitro fertilization, is considered immoral. Those who believe gestating a donated/adopted embryo is moral ultimately feel the ends justify the means when the ends result in “saving” frozen embryos and building a happy family. This dilemma has divided a number of devout Catholics onto different sides of the debate.

What points are being missed in the debate?

Those against embryo donation/adoption also fear that the IVF industry will boom trying to resupply embryos. Nothing could be further from the truth. Frozen embryos are donated reluctantly with fewer than 10% donated to patients in need. Patients create embryos to build families of their own, not with the intent to donate or adopt.  A boom will never materialize and is not a realistic concern.

Some also are concerned that embryos would be created and sold to the highest bidder. Embryos must always be created with patients in mind. If not, we could potentially have banks of unclaimed embryos, created from both donor eggs and donor sperm waiting to be chosen. Potential human life is never to be bought or sold or should be left unclaimed waiting somewhere in a liquid nitrogen tank. The creation and sale of embryos is clearly, no matter what your religion, ethically inappropriate and utterly unacceptable.

One could also argue that fertile Catholics, with potentially large families, shouldn’t have priority to the donated embryos over infertile couples who have never had a family. I can tell you this is an important point to hopeful embryo recipients who are desperately searching for the limited number of donated embryos and a chance to even have a single child.

What is the most important point I feel is being missed in the Catholic debate?

While it is wonderful to watch the Catholic Church discuss these issues in ways it has not done before, the truth is that they don’t need to have such angst. The unfortunate reality is that the number of potential (non-Catholic) recipients far outstrips the number of embryos available. Frozen embryos, which are not used by those that created them, don’t need to be saved; they simply need to be donated. There are literally thousands of recipients that will gladly take them without reservation. Nearly all donated embryos will find a home without good Catholics having to wrestle with this difficult moral decision.

I truly appreciate the conversation that wonderful Catholics have had within their Church regarding this issue. I have nothing but respect for those that are discussing their concerns. The sad truth is, however, that it is a moot point.  From a practical perspective, we simply don’t have enough donated embryos to meet the current needs of the recipients who do not feel morally conflicted about the issue and who are not at risk from repercussions from a Church that maintains strong convictions. Perhaps if we significantly increase the number of embryos donated by decreasing the number abandoned or discarded, there would be a surplus of donated embryos and we would indeed need Catholics to rekindle the discussion.

To the good Catholics who are wrestling with this issue, feel free to keep the conversation going but be aware your participation, however welcome, thoughtful and well intended, is truly not needed to save the embryos you hold so dear. They are already spoken for.

Craig R. Sweet, M.D.

Reproductive Endocrinologist
Founder, Medical & Practice Director
Embryo Donation International
Info@EmbryoDonation.com
www.EmbryoDonation.com

References:

Gilbert, Kathleen. “Top Catholic Ethicists Duel over Frozen Embryo Adoption.” LifeSiteNews.com, US Edition. LifeSiteNews.com, 02 Aug. 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2011. <http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/top-catholic-ethicists-duel-over-frozen-embryo-adoption>.

“Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of a Person).” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Department of Communications, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Web. 05 Aug. 2011. <http://www.usccb.org/comm/Dignitaspersonae/>.

[English/Spanish translations with other excellent pdf files]

Napier, Ph.D., Stephen, and John M. Hass, Ph.D., S.T.L. “Commentary on Dignitas Personae – The National Catholic Bioethics Center.” Home Page – The National Catholic Bioethics Center. The National Catholic Bioethics Center. Web. 03 Aug. 2011. <http://www.ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=1010>.

Oleson C. Digitas personae and the Question of Heterologous Embryo Transfer. The Linacre Quarterly 2009;76(2):133-149.

By Dr. Craig R. Sweet, Medical Director & Founder

During in vitro fertilization (IVF), numerous eggs are removed from the woman, and fertilized with sperm to create embryos that are grown in the laboratory for several days. Almost always the final number of embryos available for transfer is less than the number of eggs (oocytes) originally retrieved from the woman.

For example:

• 12-14 oocytes retrieved
• 10-12 mature ooctyes (available for fertilization)
• 8-10 oocytes successfully fertilize with sperm
• 3-6 embryos survive and are available for transfer or storage in liquid nitrogen for future use

From the few embryos left on day five of fertilization, we try to transfer the smallest number needed to achieve a pregnancy. Approximately, one-third of the patients will have enough extra embryos to freeze for future use.

These embryos may last for decades frozen in liquid nitrogen (Mazur P, 1980). For many, deciding what to do with the embryos is a very difficult decision. In general, the following options exist:

• Thaw and transfer for personal use
• Donate to science
• — Human embryonic stem cell research
• — Other valuable studies
• Discard
• — Thaw and dispose
• — “Compassionate Transfer” into a uterus at a time when implantation cannot occur
• Donate to patients in need (i.e., embryo donation)

Many, but not all facilities, offer the “discard” option. We believe that better choices exist than destruction and no longer include it in our patient consents. The actual options available to a given patient may be more limited than the list above.

There are many reasons patients do not use the embryos for personal use (Kirkman M, 2003):

• They have completed their family
• Past pregnancy complications
• Age
• Emotional exhaustion
• Cannot afford further treatment
• Divorced

Many find deciding the next steps for their cryopreserved embryos to be exquisitely difficult. I feel that all reproductive facilities could perform far better at counseling patients and assisting them in making these decisions. Patients have complained that we haven’t done an adequate job (Nachtigall RD, et al., 2005). I suspect they are right. I believe it is the responsibility of the cryopreservation or reproductive endocrine facility to educate patients adequately and offer assistance and information when requested. EDI designed a brief brochure to address these very issues.

If one is really uncertain and the personal use of the embryos is still a possibility, then I agree that the embryos should be stored longer, but not indefinitely. If, however, additional family building has been ruled out, then I advise the patient to take a deep breath and make the difficult decision that ultimately must be made.

My patients put so much, emotionally and financially, into the creation of their embryos. Our goal is to support them through the difficult decision, no matter what they decide. I can only hope they will consider either human embryonic stem cell research or embryo donation. I personally believe embryos deserve a heightened level of respect. These two possible destinations serve a common and greater good for everyone involved. While human embryonic stem cell research holds some future promise, the immediacy of growing a family though embryo donation seems to be the best choice for those wonderful and precious gifts, a donors’ embryos.

Craig R. Sweet, M.D.
Founder, Embryo Donation International
Reproductive Endocrinologist
Medical & Laboratory Director

References:

• Kirkman M. Egg and Embryo Donation and the Meaning of Motherhood. Women & Health 2003;38(2):1-18.
• Mazur P. Limits to life at low temperatures and at reduce water contents and water activities. Orig Life 1980:10(2):137-59.
• Nachtigall RD,et al. Parents’ conceptualization of their frozen embryos complicates the disposition decision. Fertil Steril 2005;84:431-4.

Hello and welcome to the Embryo Donation International blog! We will be discussing all things related to embryo donation – the process, guidelines, regulations and the tough decisions that go into the final decision.

 

Who is Embryo Donation International (EDI)?

Embryo Donation International (EDI) is a subdivision of Specialists In Reproductive Medicine & Surgery, P.A., which has been providing embryo donation for 10 years making us one of the most experienced embryo donation facilities in the country.

Our mission is to reduce the number of cryopreserved embryos abandoned or discarded by assisting in the matching embryos to patients in need regardless of race, religion, ancestry, sexual preference or marital status. We turned this philosophy into Embryo Donation International.

I started creating our embryo donation program in 2000 and had our first delivery in 2001. I have always enjoyed the field of reproductive ethics, which helped to form many of my philosophies regarding embryo donation. In speaking out against embryo abandonment and the discarding of embryos while speaking out in favor of human embryonic stem cell research, my reproductive endocrine practice began to form the core values we now hold so dearly here at EDI.

At EDI, we believe that the embryos deserve a heightened level of respect; placing them between common cells and the patients we treat. We feel this is a type of gentle embryo advocacy. We believe that they should be used for a common good and have the opportunity to build a family.

For more information, please view the About Us section of the blog or visit our website www.EmbryoDonation.com.

What sets EDI Apart from other Embryo Donation Organizations?

EDI is non-discriminatory. We welcome healthy recipients including single women, homosexual couples, cancer survivors and people of any race or ethnicity. While we believe all healthy embryos deserve a chance at life and that healthy individual deserves a chance at parenthood, we are not a faith-based facility.

We are dedicated to making the process of embryo donation affordable. Our fees are roughly 50-60% less than many alternatives. We also accept embryos from around the world.

Additionally, we have a growing database of embryos (which is available for reviewing at no cost) and we offer them through a variety of means – approved, anonymous and open embryo donation procedures– based on the donors’ wishes and the recipients’ willingness to participate.

We look forward to offering tools for donating or receiving, or simply helping you learn more about the options available along your infertility journey, which we all hope will end with parenthood.

Craig R. Sweet, M.D.
Founder, Embryo Donation International
Reproductive Endocrinologist
Medical & Laboratory Director