Is it wrong to have a genetically identical child....
By mommyboo
@mommyboo (13174)
United States
January 25, 2009 2:11am CST
...so you can use stem cells from cord blood to help your other sick child? Is this 'playing God'?
Thoughts? Rants? Raves?
I have seen this in the media repeatedly, in books, tv shows. I don't know what I would do, I have never been in this situation. I'd like to think I'd think it through and not let my judgement be clouded but faced with a tool to save somebody I love very much, it would be hard to be absolutely objective.
2 people like this
4 responses
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Jan 09
I think that as long as you are prepared to love the new child and take care of it, why not? Once the child is gone, the cord is just thrown away anyway. It's totally different than say having a child and then aborting it so that you can use its parts to save an ailing child. That would be pretty abhorrent to me, but using cord blood, I don't have a problem with that at all.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
30 Jan 09
I don't have a problem with using the cord blood either, in fact many people bank and store cord blood anyway (it's expensive which is why I didn't) and apparently it can be used for siblings or even yourself if necessary. However, this discussion is about more than just that, it would also go into the new child possibly having to give up other things in the event the cord blood did not do the trick....
This is where I think the intent goes awry - although I can see WHY, it doesn't seem right when you are talking about violating the rights of the new child because you want the other child to have a chance at life.
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
25 Jan 09
I don't see it as playing God. I do see the research as being something helpful to society as a whole. Isn't practicing any kind of medicine playing God? How do we know He doesn't want us to die from any ailments that we get cured from by a doctor? Anything that can be used to save the life of another human being is a good thing in my book 
1 person likes this
@kezabelle (2974)
•
25 Jan 09
I dont think i can honestly comment unless i was in that position, however i have two girls and i know without a doubt id do anything lawfully possible to keep them alive.
Maybe it is playing god whos to judge a parent for simply wanting to keep their child alive, as long as the new baby born was well loved and cared for i dont think it matters so much x
1 person likes this
@leatherandlatex (295)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I don't think that it's wrong if the technology is available. If my child had cancer, deathly ill..etc..I would use the cord blood to save my child's life if I could. I've never been in that type of situation, but I can honstly say that i would. I wouldn't even think twice about it. If you are talking about having a child just for the cord blood...yes, I believe that is wrong. Maybe i'm not fully understanding you here.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
30 Jan 09
The reason that prompted this discussion was the idea of someone getting pregnant with a genetically identical baby so they could use the cord blood to save another sick child. In addition, I read a book written from the perspective of a little girl who was 'genetically identical' to her sister in order to not just give cord blood but other things repeatedly throughout her life. I think she was just 11 or 12 when she decided to get herself a lawyer and refuse to 'help' her sister any further.
I don't think there's anything wrong with using the cord blood, that does not hurt nor endanger the new baby at all, and it doesn't hurt the mother either. I am just in a gray area with the other stuff... leaning toward saying that it is really unethical and we need to find other ways of doing it, if we are going to do it at all. That's asking serious questions about the right of someone to 'own' their own body.
