Document Type

Article

Version Deposited

Published Version

Open Access Funding Source

Read & Publish Agreement

Publication Date

10-10-2024

Publication Title

Journal of Bioethical Inquiry

DOI

10.1007/s11673-024-10377-5

Abstract

The transplantation of non-human organs into humans, or xenotransplantation (XTx), has recently garnered new attention and is being developed to help address the problem of organ scarcity in transplantation. Ethical issues surrounding XTx have been studied since initial interest arose decades ago and have experienced renewed discussion in the literature. However, the distinct and relevant differences when applied to children has largely been overlooked with few groups attending to the concerns that XTx in children raises. In this paper, we explore ethical challenges to be expected in paediatric XTx, in particular exploring organ sizing concerns, infectious risks, psychological burdens, and issues of moral hazard. We review these domains with the aim of highlighting the implications of pursuing paediatric XTx and the cross-disciplinary approach needed to solve these issues. Children require a unique analysis from a bioethical perspective to best prepare for the issues XTx presents.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Published Citation

Merlocco, A., Hurst, D.J. Challenges in Paediatric Xenotransplantation: Ethical Components Requiring Distinct Attention in Children and Obligations to Patients and Society. Bioethical Inquiry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-024-10377-5

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