Parental duties and untreatable genetic conditions.
This paper considers parental duties of beneficence and non-maleficence to use prenatal genetic testing for non-treatable conditions. It is proposed that this can be a duty only if the testing is essential to protect the interests of the child i.e. only if there is a risk of the child being born to a life worse than non-existence. It is argued here that non-existence can be rationally preferred to a severely impaired life. Uncontrollable pain and a lack of any opportunity to develop a continuous self are considered to be sufficient criteria for such preference. When parents are at risk of having a child whose life would be worse than non-existence, the parents have a duty to use prenatal testing and a duty to terminate an affected pregnancy. Further, such duty does not apply to any conditions where the resulting life can be considered better than non-existence.
Clarkeburn
H
H
Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow.
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D002648:Child; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009014:Morals; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012941:Social Responsibility