Interesting Moral Quandry

[Mr.Conley]

Okay, here's a scenario. Imagine that you or your wife is pregnant, but you find out that the child is braindead, will never be conscious, and won't be capable of staying alive without major, pernament medical assistence. Even then, the child probably wouldn't see 3 months. The doctors give you three options: bring the baby to term and keep the body alive until the it dies, abort the baby, or, most interestingly, bring the child to term, but allow the doctors use the baby's organs to save the lives of other newborns who would have otherwise died at birth. What would you do?

 

[CharlestonChad]

Okay, here's a scenario. Imagine that you or your wife is pregnant, but you find out that the child is braindead, will never be conscious, and won't be capable of staying alive without major, pernament medical assistence. Even then, the child probably wouldn't see 3 months. The doctors give you three options: bring the baby to term and keep the body alive until the it dies, abort the baby, or, most interestingly, bring the child to term, but allow the doctors use the baby's organs to save the lives of other newborns who would have otherwise died at birth. What would you do?

3rd option

 

[Annie]

Okay, here's a scenario. Imagine that you or your wife is pregnant, but you find out that the child is braindead, will never be conscious, and won't be capable of staying alive without major, pernament medical assistence. Even then, the child probably wouldn't see 3 months. The doctors give you three options: bring the baby to term and keep the body alive until the it dies, abort the baby, or, most interestingly, bring the child to term, but allow the doctors use the baby's organs to save the lives of other newborns who would have otherwise died at birth. What would you do?

I wouldn't have a wife, but if it was my child, I'd choose: #1, then whatever could be used for #3.

 

[5stringJeff]

Would the pregnancy threaten my wife's health? If so, I would lean towards abortion. If not, I would choose #1.

 

[manu1959]

Okay, here's a scenario. Imagine that you or your wife is pregnant, but you find out that the child is braindead, will never be conscious, and won't be capable of staying alive without major, pernament medical assistence. Even then, the child probably wouldn't see 3 months. The doctors give you three options: bring the baby to term and keep the body alive until the it dies, abort the baby, or, most interestingly, bring the child to term, but allow the doctors use the baby's organs to save the lives of other newborns who would have otherwise died at birth. What would you do?

what month is the pregnancy in?

define: pernament medical assistence

 

[manu1959]

3rd option

what if your southern belle voted #1?

 

[jillian]

Option 2.

As much as I'd like to help others, it would be self-torture to do anything else, IMO, of course, and keeping the baby alive would be torturing the child. We wouldn't do that to our pets.

 

[Mr.Conley]

what month is the pregnancy in?

define: pernament medical assistence

Say the 5th month.

When I say pernament medical assistence I mean so many different machines and tubes that it would make Teri Schiavo look like a mild case. The baby would need dialysis, respirators, feeding tubes, insulin, medications to regulate heartrate, etc. The kid apparently didn't even have what could be called a brain and as such all the functions the brain controls would have to be independently operated by machines.

Also, you probably couldn't do #2 and then #3 because almost all the potential beneficaries would be newly born prematures only a few days, or even minutes, out of the womb. After a few months, most of the organs would be too big to help such small babies, and prematures in that bad condition are unlikely to last more than a week or two.

 

[CharlestonChad]

what if your southern belle voted #1?

Then I would also vote #1.

 

[-Cp]

How about none of the above since this is a rediculous scenario?

 

[Nienna]

Say the 5th month.

When I say pernament medical assistence I mean so many different machines and tubes that it would make Teri Schiavo look like a mild case. The baby would need dialysis, respirators, feeding tubes, insulin, medications to regulate heartrate, etc. The kid apparently didn't even have what could be called a brain and as such all the functions the brain controls would have to be independently operated by machines.

Also, you probably couldn't do #2 and then #3 because almost all the potential beneficaries would be newly born prematures only a few days, or even minutes, out of the womb. After a few months, most of the organs would be too big to help such small babies, and prematures in that bad condition are unlikely to last more than a week or two.

Kind of stacking the deck, or leading repondents, aren't we? lol!

I'd still probably go with #3.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Kind of stacking the deck, or leading repondents, aren't we? lol!

I'd still probably go with #3.

Kinda, but I went over the article and found out that they need the organs to be really small for premies. Plus, I don't want everyone just to choose 1 then 3. I need more clearcut results.

 

[Nienna]

Kinda, but I went over the article and found out that they need the organs to be really small for premies. Plus, I don't want everyone just to choose 1 then 3. I need more clearcut results.

Is this a poll for a class or something? What do you mean by "clearcut results"? Do you mean "choosing option #2"? Aren't 1 & 3 "clearcut"?

 

[Bullypulpit]

Okay, here's a scenario. Imagine that you or your wife is pregnant, but you find out that the child is braindead, will never be conscious, and won't be capable of staying alive without major, pernament medical assistence. Even then, the child probably wouldn't see 3 months. The doctors give you three options: bring the baby to term and keep the body alive until the it dies, abort the baby, or, most interestingly, bring the child to term, but allow the doctors use the baby's organs to save the lives of other newborns who would have otherwise died at birth. What would you do?

The choice would be my wife's, and she would have my full support regardless of the decision. But my personal hoice would be either #2, if the fetus could not survive to term or threatened my wife's health. #3 would be a valid choice if the fetus could survive to term and did not threaten my wife's health.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Is this a poll for a class or something? What do you mean by "clearcut results"? Do you mean "choosing option #2"? Aren't 1 & 3 "clearcut"?

The problem is that if I left the question as originally stated, then most people would probably choose #1 followed by #3. Without the restrictions that is entirely possible. I don't want people choosing multiple possible answers.

 

[Nienna]

The problem is that if I left the question as originally stated, then most people would probably choose #1 followed by #3. Without the restrictions that is entirely possible. I don't want people choosing multiple possible answers.

Ah... I see. Are you doing this for a class or something, or just for your own curiosity? Just wondering.

 

[nt250]

I would choose 2. Abortion.

1 is not an option because even babies born without a brain can survive for years. My sister had a kid like that in her 6th grade class. All this kid had was a brain stem. If you looked at her full in the face she looked normal. But a side view showed that she had no brain cavity. The back of her head was completely flat. She was in a wheel chair, had a full time aid, and had absolutely no cognative abilities at all. But was bussed to school everyday and included in the "inclusion" program at my sister's school. So your 3 months could turn into years.

3 is not an option since that is really nothing more than a late term abortion. It would have to be that in order to harvest healthy organs. I wouldn't go through that just to help another family save a fetus that also should have been aborted.

I'd have an abortion and donate the fetus and placenta to medical science.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Ah... I see. Are you doing this for a class or something, or just for your own curiosity? Just wondering.

Right now just curiosity, but I might parlay the gig into a report.



Also, thanks nt250 for the detailed response.