ECTOGENESIS: COMING EPOCH OF MOTHERLESS BIRTH.

You would tend to ask, how possible is it for a child to survive outside the womb? This sounds insanely unbelievable and yet achievable. YES! It is called Ectogenesis. It means growth of an organism outside of a body and it applies to animal as well as the growth of bacteria. Recently scientists sustained human embryo in a petri dish for 13 days, shattering the previous record of 9days.
Ectogenesis would require an artificial uterus that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the foetus, custom-built amniotic fluid sac would also need to remove waste, this would be attached to ‘placenta machine’ and cables could monitor everything from the baby’s weight to heart rate and development.
Research into ectogenesis technology has the potential to cause a dramatic shift in cultural assumptions regarding women’s role in reproduction. The advent of ectogenesis would mean females would no longer have to solely bear the responsibility of child birth.
Advantages of ectogenesis
1. It could be used for women who are unable to carry babies naturally due to a damaged uterus while simultaneously avoiding the need to engage a surrogate.
2. It would reduce the number of pregnancy and birth-related deaths among women.
3. It could extend the age at which women give birth and drugs could be more easily administer to the foetus if it became ill.
4. It may be safer than ‘normal womb’ i.e. the risk of accidents, drugs, diseases, alcohol, inadequate nutrition etc. would all be virtually eliminated.
5. It would provide for the needs of women whose lifestyles would not easily accommodate pregnancy.
6. It would also provide a method of terminating an unwanted pregnancy that didn’t also bring about the death of the foetus.
7. It could reduce the number of still births, because fetuses would be more closely monitored and accessible.
Disadvantages of ectogenesis
1. The risks of removing foetus from the womb.
2. Men taking over unique function of women.
3. It would determine women’s right to decide when/how to become mothers.
4. It would reduce women’s status to laborers, sex providers and breeders.
5. May be used for no reason at all, as women are no longer forced to endure pregnancy.
6. Men gaining complete control over reproduction and women’s bodies.
7. Children who develop in an artificial uterus may lack some essential bond with their mothers that other children have.
Natural birth is filled with perils and ectogenesis could potentially offer a safe alternative but do you think it would be acceptable in our society? Would people tend to be comfortable using it? Don’t you think it will redefine social role?