Bioethicist Art Caplan: German Mom Expecting Quads at 65 is ‘Irresponsible’

A new piece by contributor Art Caplan on NBC News:

Berlin school teacher Annegret Raunigk is proudly prolific and, at age 65, not done making babies — pregnant with quadruplets that would enlarge her family from 13 to 17 children. Why?

Raunigk said she became pregnant again because her 9-year-old daughter asked for a younger sibling. (Her first 12 children — by five men — are ages 22 to 44). She told German tabloid Bild that donated eggs were fertilized and implanted at a clinic in Ukraine. Multiple attempts were required to get the eggs to fertilize. She did not say whose sperm was used or if the egg donor was paid.

Some media outlets have trotted out the usual fluffy descriptions of “miracle” and “gift” while trying to figure out if she is the oldest woman ever to have a child (she isn’t) or to have quadruplets (almost certainly she is). But this line of reporting completely misses the mark.

What she is doing is unethical. […]

Read the full article here.

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