LifeZine No. 470: 8th Mar 07
Irish Bioethics Council Asks Public for Views on Stem-Cell Research
The Irish Council for Bioethics is asking for submissions from the public about “the destruction of human embryos for research, when an embryo becomes human and what controls, if any, should be placed on scientists…” This is an opportunity for people to express their opposition to research involving the destruction of human embryos. Irish scientists are already doing important work in the area of adult stem cell research, which should be encouraged. According to the council's director, Dr Siobhán O'Sullivan, the goal is to assess public sentiment on the question of stem-cell research using both adult and embryonic stem cells. The council is in the process of drawing up an opinion on these issues based on discussions with the public and with “stakeholders” such as the scientific community, the churches, disability groups, healthcare professionals and others. Family & Life has already made its submission in 2006. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Irish MEP—Government Trying to Say that Referendum is ‘Pro-Child’
Irish MEP, Kathy Sinnott, writing in “The Irish Times” on the proposed Children’s Referendum, pointed out that “last year the Minister for Health and Children, the Minister for Education, together with the Health Services Executive (HSE), fought the claims of a five-year-old boy with special educational needs for a record-breaking 68 days in the High Court”. She said the State employed two full legal teams, one for the Ministers and the other for the HSE, and “no expense was spared in terms of attending experts and witnesses against the child and his parents. The cost of the case will, when the accounts are done, be millions of euro”. She found it hard to “reconcile the relentlessly neglectful Government and its Ministers that fought this case with the same politicians I hear on the radio talking solicitously about ‘children's rights’”. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
UK Government Retreats from Wrath of Scientists
The British Government is almost certain to abandon its plan to outlaw the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos after angry protests by scientists that it was blocking medical progress, according to “The Times”. In a letter to same last month, 45 scientists expressed support for the research, and called for the ditching of the government’s original plan. The HFEA has announced a public consultation on the subject. The Times.
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Risks to Unborn Babies in UK May Be Reduced
Researchers in Britain are developing blood tests which could replace the invasive and dangerous amniocentesis test which causes miscarriage in 1% of cases. It is estimated that this would prevent about 300 miscarriages in Britain each year. The test could also save babies from being aborted after a misdiagnosis. While this is to be welcomed, it should be remembered that most prenatal testing in Britain is done with a view to aborting the unborn child in the event that any abnormality is found. It is possible that the net result of this development will be blanket testing of unborn babies for an increasing number of conditions with more pressure for eugenic abortions. At present British law permits abortion up to birth in cases where the child would be born severely handicapped. Severe handicap is interpreted to include such relatively minor conditions as cleft palate. Daily Telegraph.
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EU Representative to Nicaragua Caught Misinforming EU Colleagues on Pushing Abortion
Pro-life members of the European Parliament have recently confronted Marc Litvine, a European Union liaison official with Nicaragua. He was criticised for pressuring Nicaragua in the name of the EU to reverse its newly-instituted law granting full legal protection of the right to life of unborn children. A story by the Catholic News Agency quoted from an interview Litvine gave to the Nicaraguan newspaper “El Nuevo Diario”, in which Litvine said the EU is hoping for a “real debate” in Nicaragua on the issue. He said the EU was “worried” about the criminalization of abortion, and that the EU saw the move as “a step backwards”. Litvine said that the EU's concerns over the matter were closely tied with its programmes to fight poverty. That reference left Nicaraguans concerned as the country is still in need of foreign monetary aid. When an EU colleague, Irish MEP Gay Mitchell, confronted Litvine with the report of his comments, he denied them. LifeSite.net. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Controversy Over Major Stem Cell Study
Advocates of embryonic stem cell research have seized upon an error in a groundbreaking study on adult stem cell research in an attempt to discredit the science. The controversy centres on a paper published in the scientific journal Nature in 2002 which demonstrated the adaptability of adult stem cells. The lead author of that article, Dr Catherine Verfaillie, has admitted that there was a mix up concerning some of the data published with the paper but insists that the conclusions are unaffected. The confusion involves a set of graphs that belonged to a different study. Dr. Verfaillie’s claim that the conclusions are unaffected is endorsed by three of the four experts invited by the University of Minnesota to assess the study after the problem emerged. The fourth expert considered the conclusions to be “weakened”. “Nature” will now resubmit the article to the original referees for assessment. New York Times
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