Artificial Womb and Placenta: A New Era in Maternal Care: Review

Abstract

In 2017, a team of researchers in Philadelphia introduced what is considered the nearest equivalent to an artificial womb (AW) thus far. The ‘biobag’, if successful as suggested by initial animal tests, could transform neonatal intensive care. Currently, premature infants born before 22 weeks have no chance of survival. For a considerable time, there have been no noteworthy enhancements in the survival rates or long-term complications for preterm infants at the viability limit. Anticipation surrounds artificial womb technology (AWT), which might positively influence these odds and is eagerly awaited for medical use. It is crucial to determine whether AWT serves as an extension of existing intensive care or represents a completely new paradigm. This inquiry is vital for deciding the appropriate timing and manner in which the biobag should be utilized with human entities. This paper explores the underlying science of AWT and proposes two main arguments. Firstly, AWT is fundamentally different from traditional intensive care. Clarifying why AWT should be viewed as separate is important as it introduces distinct ethical and legal considerations. Secondly, these considerations need to be articulated without relying on loaded language that describes the ‘human being growing in the AW’. The term ‘human being in an AW’ does not accurately capture the nature of the subject, which is neither a fetus nor an infant, as the associations tied to these terms could lead to misunderstanding. Consequently, the term ‘gestateling’ should be embraced to define this new form of human reproduction: a developing human being presents outside the womb. While this paper does not aim to resolve all ethical challenges related to AWT, it offers important insights that will facilitate the better formulation of ethical inquiries for future investigation.