Chimeras, Vanishing Twins, Parasitic Twins, and other ethical issues

https://udaan.org/kfywtpr56.php

https://polyploid.net/blog/?p=fywiueu8 In the world of medicine, there are many abnormalities that cause one to think deeply about theology. Among the most difficult of them are the genetic abnormalities associated with pregnancy and birth. They are difficult for Christians because they remind us that we need to be careful about how we word our theologies and make our rules. I am thinking of genetic issues, such as chimeras, vanishing twins, and parasitic twins. The image above is of a parasitic twin. These abnormalities make us think hard about making absolute statements concerning conception. And, they also make us think hard about making statements about what is murder and what is not. I am going to take a very brief look at these abnormalities without suggesting a full answer.

https://solomedicalsupply.com/2024/08/07/px01nt9tr So, let’s look briefly at these abnormalities. What is a chimera? A chimera is a human being (or animal) who tests as being two persons. Another way to put it is that their cell pattern is somewhat like a chess board. That is, some of their cells show the DNA pattern of one human being while others of their cells show the DNA pattern of another human being. In other words, they test as though two human beings are living within them in the same body. In one famous medical case, a person was at first thought to not be the father of a particular child. Both father and mother claimed that this was impossible. Further testing showed that the father’s cells were divided into two completely separate populations, and the original test picked up one population, while the follow up tests picked up both populations. It is thought that what happened was that the mother was originally pregnant with twins, but at a very early stage of development (the blastocyst stage or later) the two twins merged into one person. So, does one person have two souls? Did one of the souls go to be with the Lord? After all, if we are claiming that life begins at conception, then there were clearly two separate people. But, now, there is only one person. Is this a two-souled person or a one-souled person?

https://merangue.com/874shlreoq A vanishing twin is a somewhat easier ethical issue. An early ultrasound shows twins. By the next visit, one twin has disappeared. In rare cases, the two twins become a chimera. But, it is thought that in most cases an internal abortion has occurred, and the remains were reabsorbed into the mother’s body. Were there two people, but one died? This is an easier issue because we can easily say that there were two people and one died. No ethical issues are involved. The twin that is born only has one DNA signature; the other twin has disappeared.

However, the most difficult case is that of a parasitic twin. A parasitic twin is a twin that has been partially absorbed into the body of the other twin. This can manifest as what appears to be parts of another body protruding out of the body of a child. In one of the most horrific photos I have seen, there was the head of a child (but nothing else) attached to the head of another child. The attached head blinked its eyes, and made sucking motions when the complete twin was fed. Do we have two people here? We can certainly have two DNA patterns. Are the parents ethically permitted to authorize a surgery in which the “extra” head is removed so that the other twin may lead a normal life? Note that a parasitic twin is a significantly different issue from a Siamese twin.

https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/n49vlszyww When, in our zeal to protect our unborn, we make categorical and unsubtle statements, then we run into the problem of the abnormalities listed above, and several others not listed. If any type of surgical removal is murder, based on the fact of two DNA profiles, then the child with a parasitic twin must be left with the extra legs or the extra head hanging from their body. If we acknowledge that two people became one in a chimera, and then we must insist that there are two beings in a chimera, and we are stuck with the idea that we have to say that in a chimera we have two souls and two persons in one body. The vanishing twin problem is easy; we can simply and safely ignore it since there is no second twin at birth. However, these genetic problems should give us pause to think about how we speak. If we go to one extreme, then we are saying that we must speak of these genetically abnormal people as being two people. If we go to the other extreme, then we can justify almost any abortion.

https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/044upr4u Sadly, no one is seriously considering these intractable ethical issues. It is easier to ignore them so that we do not have to question our presuppositions. But, we need to consider them. I am pro-life. But, I have no problem in saying that a chimera is one person, one soul. I need not invoke a second soul and person. If they were ever there, they are gone now. One person, one body is my guiding principle. I can also say—with sadness—that it is not an immoral abortion to remove a parasitic twin. But, frankly, that does not answer the question of whether there were two lives, whether there are two lives at the moment of surgical separation, and whether a killing has been committed when they are separated. Nevertheless, I can say with confidence that I am not of the opinion that any sin has been committed. But, can you see the difficulties?

https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/dxdlxn5pj We need to be pro-life. Yet, we also need to be a philosophically / theologically aware pro-life. And, we need to allow that there are difficult circumstances that may mean that some accommodation has to happen. Even more, we need to acknowledge that there are some questions that are not possible to answer in this present age.