It’s dangerous enough to perform surgery on an expecting woman; what about operating on her unborn child? Is this even possible? Amazingly, it now is. Pre-natal surgeries have been conducted to help correct Spina Bifida. Article #1
Needless to say, this is a controversial subject. Both pros and cons are well explained in this article. Article #2 Some believe that no operation should be conducted in which the benefits fail to outweigh the possible costs. Operating on a child still in the womb and at a fetal age where it could not survive outside the womb, poses every possible risk to both mother and child. One must take into account whether it is better to face whatever impacts Spina Bifida will bring or to make the gamble of operating and possibly losing the child altogether. As a mother-to-be, one group member says she would be terrified to operate on her completely dependent child and would have to take everything into account before making a decision.
Others feel that it’s worth the risk to potentially help their child live a fuller life. Successful surgeries have occurred which encourages both doctors and parents-to-be. This option and the continued development of surgical procedures ensure that the topic will continue to be followed.
What do you think? If it were your child, how would you react? Would you consider surgery? What things would you be taking into account?
I have heard about many different prenatal surgeries to correct abnormalities in the fetus' development. I know that surgeries can be beneficial, but I also think that the procedures are still in their infancy stage. I think having a prenatal surgery would be a terrifying experience. I only read the first article because the link to the second one wasn't working but I believe that the article raised interesting points. It stated that the condition of the children who had been operated on prenatally were significantly better than those that had postnatal operations. These procedures are still fairly new and I believe that over time the risks of the operations will decrease as doctors learn more about the operations.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if the child were mine, I think I would be too afraid of possible complications to have the surgery. Although the benefits could improve the independence of my child, I would not want to risk possibly losing the baby or causing other complications such as a premature birth or complications with other physical developments.
I think that prenatal surgeries have a bright future, but right now the situations seem pretty rough. It is interesting to read about the different sides, the pros and cons, and think about what I would do if I were thrown into a situation of considering such a surgery. I would definitely have to think about what the problem is with the child and how much it would affect his or her life. I would have to weigh that against the very possible chance that I could lose the child in the process. Most likely if the condition he or she may be born with is not life threatening or too severe, I would seriously consider trying the surgery. But at the same time, I wouldn't want to risk my own life so much if I have the rest of my family to take care of! There is a lot to consider when it comes down to such a controversial and intimate question. Honestly, I would end up depending on prayer to get me through it and come to the right decision, no matter what the professional say.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in this case I am not sure I would even consider surgery. I do think that prenatal surgeries will be good in the future but there are too many risks right now. I think that I would have to take in account how different their life would be. If the surgery was a success their life would be completely different. They would be able to be completely independent and they would not have to use a wheel chair their whole life. However, I would never be able to forgive myself if something went wrong and I lost my baby. It is more important to me that the baby has a chance to come to the earth. It may be a challenge to live with but I don't think that the benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks. The technology would have to be more advanced in order for me to risk it.
ReplyDeletePrenatal surgeries are incredible to me. It is so incredible what doctors can do before a child is even born. These surgeries are phenomenal, but I believe that we still have a ways to go before they are as safe and efficient as we desire. The thought of having one of my future children operated on while still in the womb scares me to death. At the same time, however, I think that I would try to take into account every option and prayerfully consider it if the need arose. I don't think that there is a right or a wrong answer when it comes to this decision. I believe that deciding whether or not to have your unborn child operated on should be a personal decision. There are many risks that come along with these surgeries. To some mothers, I am sure that these risks would be worth it. Others, however, may prefer to deal with their child having spina bifida or any other disability then take the risk of having them operated on.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I believe that choosing to have your unborn child on should be a completely personal decision. I would take into account the risks of surgery, what it would be like to deal with the disability, and the information received from medical professionals before making my decision.
Wow, this is such a hard topic. If I found out my child had spinal bifida, I would be scared and concerned for their happiness. I would definitely research all the available options for treatment. If i had to make the decision today of whether or not to operate, I would probably decide not to. Right now the operation is so new and risky that I do not think the benefits outweigh the risk. I would never be able to live with myself if something went fatally wrong during the operation. People can still live fulfilling lives with spinal bifida, so I would focus all my efforts on making the best possible life for my child. If I had to decide about the operation in a few years from now, my decision may be different. It all depends on how successful and how established the operation is. I think any parent needs to consider the risks to their child when making those decisions. In Article 2, the parents were obviously against abortion. But the situation would have been very similar to abortion had the surgery gone badly. From the two articles I read, the surgery seems to be a bit of a gamble and I would value my child way too much to make a gamble on his or her life.
ReplyDeleteThis has to be without a doubt the toughest decision a parent will ever have to make. Just the thought of it stresses me out a bit! If it were my child, I would fight. As a parent, all you want for your children is a an easy wonderful life. For me, I definitely would consider surgery. I would take into account the immediate risks for me and my child, the long term risks for me and my child, and the long lasting benefits that could stem for my child. The success of pass surgeries would also be taken into account. If the surgery had failed several times, I would be hesitant to move forward; however, if it had succeeded majority of the time, I would want to move forward. Another important factor to consider is the severity of the spina bofida in the womb. Ultimately, I would not ever rule out surgery until every avenue had been checked out that would ensure the best life for my child.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of pre-natal surgeries on a fetus before. I do not know too much about them. I think that there seems to be a lot of risk involved. I reckon that finding out that your unborn child has a disability I would be difficult enough and then being faced with the choice of operating on your baby would be an even greater decision. What if it worked and your baby was cured? What if it didn't work and the baby died? I personally feel that if it were me I would want to research a lot deeper and find out about success and failure stories and compare them to my own situation. At this point in time I think the risk of there being complications out ways my fears of having a child with a disability so I don't think I'd be able to do that to my unborn child.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely consider prenatal surgery. Whether or not I would do it is the real question. If the only risk for me was possible having to go cesarean I would definitely be willing to undergo surgery. What my surgery would really depend on is the risks put on my baby and the difference it could make in his/her life. Is prenatal surgery the difference in my child ever walking? If so then I think the surgery would be worth it, unless the risks are too high. It is not worth losing my child's life. I know that I would love them however they were born. I want them to have the greatest chance at a good, successful life as possible, but what am I willing to risk in order to make that possible? I have to say that right now I would be really hesitant because a statistical test with a random sample hasn't been done so it can't be proven that the surgery would make a significant difference in my child's life.
ReplyDeleteI think that issues like these are really good ethical questions to ask myself, acknowledging that if I were actually in the situation to make such a decision, I would have a lot of other factors to consider. It is very exciting to see the medical advances that are being made that even a few decades ago would have seemed impossible. I think that we have been given our minds to explore and learn as much as we can, so I am usually a big supporter of medical developments, however, I can see how this is a hard decision, as there are many consequences that could come from this. I think that each individual case/scenario would need it's own careful review of the pros and cons and that one decision is not the best for each individual. This would be a decision that would need to be made with a lot of prayer and open discussion between the parents/family to really be able to make the best choice for all those involved.
ReplyDeleteThis would have to take a lot more consideration and research on the parents part to make the best decision for both the child and the mother. I would definitely consider it but if I felt that my child's life would be at risk I wouldn't do it. I will love my child if they have a disability or not. I will make sure that they have the best and most successful life they can have whether or not they have spina bifida. Children with spina bifida can still lead happy and successful lives and that would be what is most important to me as a parent.
ReplyDeletePrenatal surgery seems to have a lot of potential. The idea that surgery can act as a preventative measure for physical and mental ailments truly amazes me. However, I think this type of procedure has a long way to go before it should be considered a common option for those who are pregnant. The risks are too high. This procedure could cause further complications for the baby, the mother, and could even result in death. I think that because of these risks, this option should only be considered as a last resort. Hopefully with time, surgeons can better improve this procedure and greatly reduce the risks that accompany it.
ReplyDeleteI think that right now the surgery is still to new that we still have many risks, but I do think that over the years the more we keep studying the more effective the surgery will come. When it comes to if it was my child I do not think that I would do the surgery there is to much at risk and just the fact that something could go wrong I couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely take in to account of how it would effect the baby and how many babies it has helped. I also think that the risk are a very important part when you are thinking of doing surgery on an unborn baby. Overall this surgery has potential but if it was my kid I don't think I would do it.
I think that this is something that definitely has a lot of potential in the future, but I'm not quite sure we are there yet. It sounds like there are more possible risks here than there are possible benefits. Before we start performing this in reality, more should be done to do research and to test out different scenarios and possible outcomes.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, if my child was given this opportunity I think I would turn it down and just hope for the best.
I have heard a lot of differing opinions on this topic. I remember first learning about these surgeries in my early teens. At that time I thought it was a horrible idea to alter the baby that is naturally going to be born to you. As I have grown and been able to research the topic a little more, I can see the benefits. In my case, I don't think I am to the point where I would trust a complicated surgery for my baby at a time when it is so vulnerable. However, the more I study the topic, the more confident I feel in the medicinal advances that make these surgeries possible. In my Human Development class, we learned about these surgeries. The advances in medicine that have been made are incredible. The risks of the surgery are declining at an amazing rate. I think soon, I might be comfortable trusting my baby's life in that way (I cannot fully declare this as my statement because I do not know how I would be feeling emotionally and spiritually at that time).
ReplyDeleteThe fetal surgeries that I do not see as appropriate are the ones where parents do cosmetic surgery on their unborn baby. To put the baby at risk just to ensure that they have blue eyes. That, in my mind is wrong.
The idea of prenatal surgery is fascinating to me, however, at this moment in time when the potential risks are still somewhat unknown I am not sure how I feel about the whole situation. I think that prenatal surgery could definitely be beneficial in the future but it is still so new and the so many risks are unknown it is kind of a scary solution for me. I know a little boy who has Spina Bifida and I see the joy he brings into his home and that he is still able to live a happy life. If I were in that situation I don't think I would risk the potential of an even more severe problem occurring. I think this surgery has a long way to go but could be very beneficial in the future. However, at this moment in time I don't think I would risk having the surgery.
ReplyDeleteI think that it should be up to the parents. I remember talking to my aunt about her daughter who has Down Syndrome, and there wasn't a sure way to know that before she was born unless they did an amniocentesis, which my aunt didn't want to to because that can be dangerous itself. I kind of feel like its almost the same as an adult having a surgery- there are risks involved and sometimes people don't make it out alive. Of course its different with an unborn baby and newer procedures.
ReplyDeleteI think that if a parent wants to take the risk to try and help their child then that is respectable, but its also respectable to not want to risk your child. It's a tough call to make either way.
I am not sure I would consider doing a prenatal surgery like that, in my opinion the risks are still too great, and I don't find anything wrong with having a child with spina bifida. I think in the future when we have eliminated some of the risks then it would be a surgery worth wide to do. This is an interesting topic and one that is worth looking into, but in my opinion as a person and as a girl who hopefully someday will have kids, I think it is still too dangerous of a surgery to do.
ReplyDeleteThis prompt is difficult as I have never been pregnant nor plan on ever being. But if I were a mother I would do just as the group member said, to research as much as I would and then simply try to make the best decision. I liked the statement in the second article about the benefits outweighing the costs.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be important to look at each potential year of my child's life and figure out everything that we as parents would be doing to help them overcome the challenges of spina bifida. If we would be able to overcome the medical costs and everything else associated with their disability, then we would compare that to the risks or benefits of performing early surgery and decide which would be the best decision.
I believe that by having a prenatal is kind of like playing the role of God. I personally believe that if a child is to be born with Spina Bifida (for whatever reason) then they are meant to have that trial in their life. I would probably have a different perspective if it was my child instead of a random case, but i would still be extremely cautious. I don't know if I would want to chance the risk. I personally would rather risk having a child with a disability than risk not having a child at all. I would have to take into consideration a lot of things, like research before i would make a final decision, but I honestly don't think I would do it.
ReplyDelete