2.

SPINA BIFIDA
MORAL ISSUE ON o An opening of the spine, a bulging sac resulting from
protrusion of the membrane covering the spinal cord
BIRTH DEFORMITIES o Spinal fluid and nerve tissue contained in swelling
protuberance
o Paralysis below the waist
Birth Deformities o No control of bladder and bowel movements
o Are defects, malformations or abnormalities of a child
which are present at birth.

Kinds of Birth Deformities

1. Genetic Deformities
o Are defects that are present in the genetic
material
o Hereditary
o They are the outcome of the genetic information
of the child

2. Congenital deformities
o Are defects present at birth or develop in the
utero
o Non – hereditary

Causes of Congenital Deformities 3. HYDROCEPHALUS

o Radiation o Hydro- Water; Kephale- Head
o Water in the head or brain
o Drugs (thalidomide) o Characterized by the accumulation of water/fluid
within the ventricles or between membranes in the
o Chemicals (mercury)
brain.
o Nutritional deficiency

o Biological disease agents-bacteria and virus

Types of Deformities
1. TRISOMY 21
o Down’s syndrome/ Mongolism
o A genetic disease resulting from the presence of extra
chromosome in the genetic formation
o They are born retarded with various physical
deformities like having broad skull, a large tongue an
upward slant of the eyelids

Treatment
o Surgical treatment- by inserting a thin tube (shunt) to drain
the fluid from the brain to the heart or abdomen.

o No cure for this condition

4. ANENCEPHALY
o IQ of 50-80
o An- “Without”; Kephaly – “brain”
o Can do easy task
o Without brain
o Famous for being happy
o The brain is totally or partially absent
o Can anticipate a long life
o Bones of the skull are not completely formed
o Death is virtual certainty
o No hope for improvement for this defect

5. ESOPHAGEAL ATRESIA
o Refers to closing of esophagus
o The muscular tube has no opening through which milk
or food may reach the stomach
o Surgery is required and chances are very high.
6. DUODENAL ATRESIA
o The duodenum/ the upper part of the small intestine is
closed and food cannot passed through and be
digested
o It is more common in boys than girls
o 1 per 5000-10,000 live births
o Surgical operation is highly successful.
Moral issue
o Should a malformed child be given only ordinary care or
extraordinary medical treatment be given to save life?
o Should it be given no medical attention at all and simply
allow to die?
o or should it be killed in a merciful way?
Application of Ethical Theories
Roman Catholic
o Even the most terrible malformed baby is a human person,
so its right to life must be respected and safeguarded.
o It would be immoral to kill the malformed baby to cause its
death by the ACT OF OMMISSION.
KANTIAN PRINCIPLES
o If the malformed is baby is a person, it possesses an
inherent dignity and worth.
o But aside from being defective, it lacks the capacity to
reason and to express its will which are the basis of
human dignity.
ROSS ETHICS
o Which prima facie duty is more stringent?
o The duty to have a deformed baby be operated on his/her
condition, the cost of which is tremendous and
burdensome to the family; or the duty to just let the
malformed child die in a painless and quiet way?
SITUATION ETHICS (FLETCHER)
o Fletcher does not only favor the expulsion of a malformed
fetus but also endorses the merciful and painless killing of
horribly deformed babies.
UTILITARIANISM
o It justify the act of commission to put an end to the
miserable life of a newborn with severe deformities with
the ff reasons:
a) Personal
o in terms of suffering of the infant, anguish of the
parents, discomfort it brings to the family
members.
b) Social
o Monetary cost to society
o Being liability than asset to the community
PRAGMATISM
o When the child deformities are so serious and severe that
all medical measures are unnecessary and useless, the
most realistic and practical decision to be made is to put
its life to a speedy and painless end.
PRINCIPLE OF NON-MALEFICENCE
o “Do no harm”/ Duty to avoid evil
o Stresses that harm or pain should not be inflicted upon
others regardless of status
o Urge everyone to avoid inflicting harm as a moral
obligation
o It mandates the right not to be killed, not to have bodily
injury or pain on one self
PRINCIPLE OF INVIOBILITY OF LIFE
o “Respect for the life of every person”
o Avoid anything that will end or endanger one’s life.
o States that life is God loaned to us
o Its only God who has complete control and dominion of
our life