Doctors perform UK’s first organ donation from a baby

[Deleted]

Link to the story: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...tion-from-baby

Doctors at Hammersmith hospital have performed the UK’s first organ donation from a baby in a medical milestone that could see more newborns become donors.

Staff at the hospital in west London praised the parents for their “extraordinary generosity” in consenting to the donation, which allowed two patients to receive tissues from the child, who died soon after birth.

The doctors now hope to see other baby units offering the service, which they said gave comfort to grieving families and had the potential to transform the lives of others.

So this is a thing. Pretty cool. Organ donation is a good thing and imo it should be compulsary for adults who want access to state funded healthcare. Can't help but feel like this is a little bit too "never let me go" though.



You think such things could ever actually happen? Like, growing people for the sole purpose of organ donation?

[Dezerte]

You think such things could ever actually happen? Like, growing people for the sole purpose of organ donation?

No, that would be unethical. Growing organs on their own however I see no problem with, nor using dead bodies of course.

[Masark]

You think such things could ever actually happen? Like, growing people for the sole purpose of organ donation?

No, it would be unreasonably inefficient. We'll almost certainly be able to grow/build organs by themselves in a decade or so.

[Aqueous]

No, it would be unreasonably inefficient. We'll almost certainly be able to grow/build organs by themselves in a decade or so.

Aye, this.

Scientifically it'd be easier to grow organs and tissue rather than full on organisms, good that it's also more ethically sound as well

[Deleted]

I don't really know if this is such a great idea. I mean, think about it, this might encourage women who didn't want to become pregnant to simply kill their children, say they died then give consent to have them become donors simply because the tissue has to be taken fast and no formal investigation can be performed after to see if the child died of natural causes or not.

[Wilian]

While I'm totally pro organ donations and believe that dead people should be harvested for their functional organs to save others, I'm a bit squeezy about parents making such decision in the place of their baby whom may or may not have consented to it in future of his or her life.

Edit: Apparently I fail at reading today and it was dead baby. Go on then, great idea

[GKLeatherCraft]

I don't really know if this is such a great idea. I mean, think about it, this might encourage women who didn't want to become pregnant to simply kill their children, say they died then give consent to have them become donors simply because the tissue has to be taken fast and no formal investigation can be performed after to see if the child died of natural causes or not.

That ranks as one of the most ridiculous things I've seen you say. It won't "encourage" baby slaying, Plus for someone to be a donor, their cause of death has to be known, you can't just rock up with a corpse and be like "I'm donating this, it died naturally guys"...

[Wilian]

That ranks as one of the most ridiculous things I've seen you say. It won't "encourage" baby slaying, Plus for someone to be a donor, their cause of death has to be known, you can't just rock up with a corpse and be like "I'm donating this, it died naturally guys"...

I find these arguments hilarious. It's a bit same with people who oppose euthanasia and claim it promotes murder of old people.

[Reg]

You think such things could ever actually happen? Like, growing people for the sole purpose of organ donation?

Wasn't that the plot of a Ewen McGregor movie?

[Sunseeker]

Wasn't that the plot of a Ewen McGregor movie?

"The Island" yes. But the "unreasonably inefficient" part was overlooked due to the "rich people wanting to spend tons of money to live longer" part.

[Deleted]

Wasn't that the plot of a Ewen McGregor movie?

I thought they made them for combat?

[Trassk]

I'm all for organ donors, most of my family has a donor card. But just everyone else has said, creating life just for the purpose of organs is disturbingly wrong on so many levels.

[Deleted]

It would be unethical to do it in our own countries, we would just import organs from places of poverty. Similar to what we do with labour intensive manufacture.

[yeast]

Good. Babies are just a bunch of moochers which (almost literally) shit on any attempt to get them to give back to society. It's high time we harvest their organs for much more worthwhile pursuits!

[pateuvasiliu]

Tricky.

The parents shouldn't decide for the baby just like how my mom can't suddenly decide that if I die my organs will be donated.

Actually come to think of it, why was this legal?

As long as someone can't do it for me, why can someone do it for a baby?

[Deleted]

impressive, I agree with others who've said that we'll be able to grow organs soon, and that it'd be unethical (and a slippery slope) to birth babies just for their organs.

then again I do think a more rationale driven approach to the human condition would do society good, definetly for the problem of overpopulation..

[Crissi]

Tricky.

The parents shouldn't decide for the baby just like how my mom can't suddenly decide that if I die my organs will be donated.

Actually come to think of it, why was this legal?

As long as someone can't do it for me, why can someone do it for a baby?

I think the UK may be an opt out, instead of the U.S opt in? Might have been another Euro country though...

anyways people that suggest we might grow babies for organs watch WAAAAY too much SYFY. Any scientist worth their degree wouldnt do that in today's medical ethics world.

[Deleted]

The parents shouldn't decide for the baby just like how my mom can't suddenly decide that if I die my organs will be donated.

This might be news for you, laws works differently in different countries. If you'd be in Sweden and haven't made a decision regarding organ donation, it's up to the family to make that decision.

[pateuvasiliu]

This might be news for you, laws works differently in different countries. If you'd be in Sweden and haven't made a decision regarding organ donation, it's up to the family to make that decision.

Ah, yes, Sweden.

The country of laws that make little sense.

I think the UK may be an opt out, instead of the U.S opt in?

most countries are opt in and they should stay like that. The baby had no way to opt in.

And I'm being really politically correct here as I personally think everyone should be a donor or else not get healthcare. But that's simply selfish, as some are part of religions that prohibit organ donation.

[pateuvasiliu]

Any scientist worth their degree wouldnt do that in today's medical ethics world.

I assure you people like him still exist.

Doctors lie for profit all the time.

'' Circumcision doesn't hurt. ''

'' Oh, piglets don't feel pain if you castrate them without anesthesia. ''

'' Yes, this will require surgery. ''

C'mon, now.