Ectogenesis: Is it really necessary?

Ectogenesis, the suggestion that it may soon be possible to gestate a human infant outside of the maternal body, has attracted much attention since the release of Haldane’s paper ‘Daedalus or Science and the Future’ in 1924. A method to create human embryos in vitro has been developed since this time, however, the evolution of in vitro fertilisation in the direction of the extracorporeal gestation of human infants from conception until birth is currently illegal, and seriously inhibited by scientific and ethical factors. These factors are acknowledged, and those which require resolution prior to the development of ectogenesis highlighted and discussed. Consequently, it is identified that technologies that carry the potential to contribute towards the development of ectogenesis are currently most likely to arise as a result of attempts to establish suitable life-support mechanisms for severely premature infants. The future development of ectogenesis holds significant implications for society as a whole, including the likelihood that it may alter perceptions of childbearing and parenting. The potential impact of ectogenesis upon women, men and infants are also illustrated. Whilst infertility appears to be an increasingly prevalent issue, conclusions are drawn that based upon population statistics, the human species as a whole does not appear to be suffering with an inability to propagate. On this basis, there is currently not a requirement for ectogenesis to be developed for reproductive purposes.