Prevalence of Bioethical Issues PDF

Prevalence of Bioethical Issues Healthcare Ethics/Bioethics (NCM 108) LK Regorosa Bioethics A Philosophical Journey and a Critical Analysis into the Life Sciences: A Guide to Healthcare Providers WHEN DOES HUMAN LIFE, OR PERSONHOOD, BE...

Prevalence of Bioethical Issues Healthcare Ethics/Bioethics (NCM 108) LK Regorosa Bioethics A Philosophical Journey and a Critical Analysis into the Life Sciences: A Guide to Healthcare Providers WHEN DOES HUMAN LIFE, OR PERSONHOOD, BEGIN? BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE Part 1 Beginning of Human Life Art. 41 of the Civil Code says: “For civil purposes, the foetus is considered born if it is alive at the time it is completely delivered from the mother’s womb. However, if the foetus had an intrauterine life of less than seven months, it is not deemed born if it dies within twenty-four hours after its complete delivery from the maternal womb”. Beginning of Human Life Art. 42 of the Civil Code postulates that the birth of the foetus marks the beginning of personhood. The article provides: “Civil personality is extinguished by death. The effect of death upon the rights and obligations of the deceased is determined by law, by contract, and by will”. PD 603 (Child and Youth Welfare Code of 1974) legally defines/determines the issue of human personhood, which is at the point of fertilization or conception.  WHY SHOULD THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE NEED TO BE DETERMINED? It is simply because of the serious moral problem that pertains to abortion. Theories of the Origin of Life 1. Neurological Theory 2. Biological Independence Theory 3. Metabolic Theory 4. Embryological Theory 5. Self-Consciousness Theory 6. Genetic Theory 1. Neurological Theory Based on the notion of the capabilities and function of electroencephalogram (EEG), which determines the brain waves of a human being.  Invented by Hans Berger, a German psychiatrist and physiologist  Its principal function is to determine if a person is still alive or already dead 1. Neurological Theory Since the EEG records the transmission of the brainwaves, its recording of the so-called “flat line” status would show, as medical experts agree, that the person is already dead (clinically). Based on this logic, then, for a fetus to be considered to have life, then its brain waves must be duly captured by EEG. 1. Neurological Theory EEG can recognize the life of a fetus approximately only in a span of 24-27 weeks (4-6.75 months) after gestation.  Around this period, the intrinsically required formation of synapses for neural activity becomes detectable. Under this theory, human life begins from four to six months after gestation. 2. Biological Independence Theory This theory is founded on the notion of viability. Depends on the maturation of lungs of the growing fetus The viability of human fetus increases significantly beyond 24 weeks (6.25 months) after gestation occurs, prior to the fetal lungs reaching the saccular stage. 2. Biological Independence Theory Based on the theory, not until the fetus has acquired matured lungs that can strongly allow it to be viable, or exist outside the uterus, only then can it be said to have started to live, or have the status of human life. 3. Metabolic Theory Advocates that, strictly speaking, there is no such thing as fertilization. Proponents of this theory strongly argues that from the standpoint of organism, an egg cell and a sperm cell are each individual living organism. Therefore, to them, the union of each cell cannot be accounted to give way to fertilization. 3. Metabolic Theory To them, fetal development is a continuous process whose beginning cannot be determined. The proponents believe that the concept of fertilization is only concocted by both physicians and biologists for academic purposes. 4. Embryological Theory This theory maintains human life begins at gastrulation, not fertilization. Gastrulation approximately starts at the onset of third week (21 days) of pregnancy. Under this theory, a zygote is truly human and at the same time truly single; however, it is not as yet a person since it cannot be accounted for individuality. 5. Self-Consciousness Theory Under this theory, human life begins when the child earns consciousness of their self. Proposed by Michael Tooley He argues that only when the child attains self- consciousness, or to the least, gains consciousness, can they be ascribed of personhood, or to have begun to live a human life. 6. Genetic Theory Under this theory, fertilization or conception occurs the moment the sperm cell fuses with the egg cell; and subsequently marks the beginning of humanness and personhood. Proponents argue that during fertilization, there is a union of genetic substances (zygote), which can be argued is a person since it contains an individual substance per se.