What is Ectogenesis?
Can you think of a situation where children are born by machines rather than the usual procedure of a pregnant woman? Can you imagine a world where natural pregnancy is extinct? Where women no longer feel labor pain nor experience the feeling of carrying an unborn child?
Have you ever thought of a world where premature babies, ectopic pregnancies, abortion, and other maternal risk issues no longer pose a threat to human race reproduction? Well, ectogenesis technology is working on changing the face of human reproduction and making this a reality. Before I go on, do you understand what ectogenesis is and where the idea came from?
Ectogenesis is a medical technology that provides similar environment conditions to a natural womb of a female human reproduction system. The technology aims to handle the development, growth, and delivery of a fetus outside of a woman’s body.
Also called the artificial womb, the technology is still a fiction development and holds significant potential in human reproduction. A successful ectogenesis is when fertilization,gestation with the complete process of conception and embryo growth occurs outside the human body.
Research is still progressing to achieve this throughout the globe, due to its complexity. The main task behind the artificial womb is to provide a similar environment condition to that in a mother womb and provide a successful offspring delivery.
The origin of Ectogenesis
J B S Haldane, a Biologist at Cambridge University came up with the word Ectogenesis to describe the formation of fetus independent of the human body. He was the first Biologist to suggest that an egg could mature outside a mother’s womb. He explained the theory in an event that took place at the Heretics Society of the University of Cambridge.
His lecture was driven by an ideology written by a student in 2073 writing about biological advances preceding 150 years. The student’s essay explains how two scientists extracted the ovaries of a woman from a plane crash in 1951 and fertilized her eggs outside her womb. The actions of the scientists gave Haldane the idea of Ectogenesis technology. This term has been a topic of interest for a very long time, with researchers and scientists making progress in its development.
During World War II, progress towards achieving Haldane’s idea slowed down. The interest dimmed due to mixed reactions from society. It wasn’t until 1970 when a feminist, Shulamith Firestone, published a book, The Dialectic of Sex. She stated that the idea could only be successful through machines. Her book further explained that the reason why science failed to accomplish the idea by then was due to its repercussions.
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, scientists across the globe started experimenting with Haldane’s idea of Ectogenesis technology by using animal lamb fetuses. The idea is stated fictious due to unavoidable questions about the implications and the risks that follow. An artificial human reproduction system seems too complex to achieve since the required aspects are difficult to handle to produce accurate results.
What is the significance of Ectogenesis?
This technology application has different impacts on the society, science and the health industry. Here are some of the significances of ectogenesis:
Medical Advancements: Ectogenesis provides a controlled and sterile environment to a fetus through a monitored technology that acknowledges any hazard. Doctors have a chance for a quick response on any unusual incident to ensure the safety of the fetus. Through this concept, ectogenesis has the potential to revolutionize neonatal care and reduce mertanal risk. Managing these risks will come in a better manner with better chances of saving the baby and mother.
Reproductive Freedom: As ectogenesis is becoming a reality, couples can choose either the natural way or the artificial way. A number of women want children but do not want to get pregnant. Adoption is always an option here, but ectogenesis provides a better option.
Gender Equality: For a long time, a woman has a greater responsibility to parenting than the opposite gender. It has made women feel over burdened, leaving men with a minor task. Many couples seek alternatives like adoption, or hire people to fulfill the responsibility. Ectogenesis now provides an option where the woman attains lesser burden. For couples finding it a challenge to go the natural way now have otherwise through technology.
Reproduction Options: People with abnormalities concerning reproduction may get relief due to the introduction of ectogenesis technology. The concept applies to women who have womb complications that hinder pregnancy. It is now a reality that you can bear a baby without the necessity of a natural womb. The required conditions to carry a child are provided by ectogenesis if your womb cannot meet them.
- Research Breakthough: The above concept requires significant advances in technology and medical research, which could lead to breakthroughs in fields such as stem cell research, tissue engineering, and developmental biology.
What is the science and technology behind Ectogenesis?
Ectogenesis aims to create an environment outside the human body where an embryo or fetus can gestate and develop until it reaches a viable stage for birth. With similar conditions experienced in a mother’s womb, the technology should perform similary or better than a human body.
Let us have alook at the elements building up this technology, they include,
Artificial Womb Technology: For ectogenesis to work, creating an artificial womb is an important aspect. The artificial womb provides replica conditions to that of a natural womb. In the artificial womb, this is where the fetus grows and matures till birth. As the fetus grows, supply of required necessities takes place to ensure the survival of the fetus.
The design of the womb provides a home to the fetus until birth.Fetal Development: After fertilization, the embryos develop through assist of technology concepts like the vitro fertilization procedures. The artificial womb supports the development and growth at all stages. Procudures put here follow an automatic system ensuring growth of organs and circulation of nutrients. Monitoring the procedures makes sure no unusual incident occurs.
Stable Environmental Control System: There are required conditions and factors to meet while the fetus grows in the artificial bag. A control software system works in ensuring the artificial wombs meets these conditions. Maintaining an appropriate temperature is one crucial element needed. For a succesful outcome, the control has to ensure that these conditions are similar to that of a human body.
Resources delivery: For the fetus and body organs to grow, supply of nutrients required is vital. The artificial womb involves the nutrient-rich solution circulated through the system to copy the applications of the placenta in a natural pregnancy. Regulating the movement of nutrients is crucial since over supply can damage the fetus.
- Monitor and Control System: The growth of the fetus is a slow procedure, and a miss step can lead a fatal outcome. As the fetus grows in the artificial womb, sensors placed ensure nothing goes wrong according to plan. Any vital action or adjustment of the environment is immediately detected.
Is Ectogenesis Necessary?
A number of people around the globe find bearing children a challenge due to different factors affecting the outcome. The common element taking attention of many is maternal health risks witnessed during pregnancy and birth.
Couples facing maternal health risks are the priority of ectogenesis technology, and it’s evident from the basis of the idea. These health problems, would only be solved with the advancement of the technology. Some of these risks are ectopic pregnancies, placental complications, preeclampsia, premature births, and others. In a situation where you do not detect the health issues early enough, its unfortunate the damage could be irreversible. Other factors affecting the above issue include social influence and personal reasons. Some women find pregnancy a burden and would wish to eliminate the process but still be able to bear children.
Transferring premature babies to incubators to complete body development is part of ectogenesis, but the primary goal of ectogenesis technology is to replace the human womb and not for rescue missions. Experiments done to support this technology have not produced the desired results, with progress detected in various institutions.
Experiments that brought progress
Experiments carried out at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel are an example of studying how genetic mutations occur. The use of mice and lamb embryos is to determine whether human culturing is possible. After five days of gestation in the mother mouse, scientists transferred the embryos to artificial wombs. A span of six more days, is used to grow the embryos through ectogenesis.
The lead doctor, Dr. Jacob Hanna, further reported more progress after transferring an embryo at day 0 of gestation. The main challenge is understanding how a single fertilized egg cell can create all the required specific cells of a human body.
In Philadelphia, a different research group developed an artificial womb called Biobag. While using a sheep, scientists successfully transferred a fetus between 120 to 140 days of gestation. This age is equivalent to 23 to 24 weeks in humans.
Observers say that the technology used is not yet suitable for human culturing, but with progress, this could be a reality. More advanced technology and research is needed to achieve this idea.
Benefits of Ectogenesis
Despite the fact that ectogenesis is still an idea under implementation, there are potential benefits that can come along with it. Alot of research in making this tecnology a reality is on to ensure benefits do not come at a cost. Some of the benefits said to come along with the technology are:
Decline in Maternal Health Risks: Gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and complications from cesarean sections are examples of maternal health risks withnessed during pregnancy and childbirth. Ectogenesis includes a full-time monitoring of the fetus, with an immediate response when anything goes wrong.
Alternative to Natural Pregnancy: The reproduction technology offers couples or individuals with more control on reproduction. If the individuals involved do not wish to undergo the natural pregnancy model, ectogenesis could be an option.
Controlled Premature Infant Care: Premature babies is a common challenge during pregnancy. With the monitoring systems applied by Ectogenesis, one can easily detect the problem and action taken accordingly. The controlled environment will ensure that the organs are fully grown to increase the chances of survival.
Reduction in Abortion cases:The effect of abortion is well understood to harm both the mother and the unborn child. Well, ectogenesis provides an alternative to individuals who want to eliminate the natural pregnancy. The technology allows a smooth transfer of the fetus from the natural womb to the artificial one harmless.
- Assisted reproduction:Individuals who cannot perform a natural pregnancy due to health problems now have an alternative to reproduce. Women with womb complications that hinder the natural pregnancy can use ectogenesis technology. The technology does not depend on parent health for reproduction since it is constant in all aspects.
Moral Concepts Challenging Ectogenesis
Religious leaders and society elders believe pregnancy is a sole act of creation. Only God can perform this act, and involvement of technology is considered immoral. The act of creating life is not a human responsibility and is a challenge to God.
The role of parenting is not the responsibility of technology. If we encourage the techology, it will leave many parents irresponsible toward artificially gestated children. The connection between a child and the mother starts immediately after fertilization and requires the natural pregnancy.
- Ectogenesis has the potential of enhancing embryos during the process. Many researchers would to try out techniques that valuate natural or divine order. The manipulation would bring about spiritual disorder according to the religion.
Conclusion
The main idea behind the invention of ectogenesis is unclear since it provides diverse solutions and ideas. The use of this technology depends on why and how factors. As research continues, alot of effort is to be applied to make this a reality.
Technology and scientific concepts have to work hand in hand to reduce any errors. Configuring the stated functions seems unrealistic at the current level of technology.
Researchers have to concentrate on the need for limiting maternal health risks rather than for optional use. All parties must be involved, and strick measures put in place.
