Anna Smajdor - medical ethicist

Anna Smajdor - Ethicist

Recent and forthcoming publications

In defense of ectogenesis. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2012;21(1):90-103.
Ectogenesis (the gestation of foetuses outside the womb) may be a necessary development if we are to address the inherent inequalities of natural reproduction. In this paper I discuss the merits of ectogenesis, and rebut some of the criticisms brought against it.

Ethical challenges in foetal surgery. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2011;37:88-91.
Foetal surgery involves the partial removal of a foetus while it is still connected to the placenta; following treatment it is returned to the womb. Healing in utero can be scar-free, but the risks of surgery are imposed on both mother and foetus, making it an ethically-complex issue.

The limits of empathy: problems in medical education and practice. With A Stöckl and C Salter. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2011;37:380-383.
It is often assumed that empathy is a necessarily attribute for a good doctor. Here, we query that assumption and suggest that the concept of empathy and its role in medicine require further analysis.

The ethics of IVF over 40. Maturitas. 2011;69:37–40.
IVF can be less effective in older women. Its provision in a publicly funded healthcare system is therefore open to question. But are there additional ethical reasons to withhold IVF from women over 40?

Applying for ethical approval for research in the United Kingdom. With MR Sydes, L Gelling and M Wilkinson. British Medical Journal. 2009;339:b4013.
In this paper, we explain the process of getting ethical approval and describe some of the pitfalls to be avoided.

Should IVF guidelines be relaxed in the UK?. Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;4(5):501-508.
I argue that rationing IVF on the basis of socio-ethical judgements is commonplace in the UK, but is contrary to the principles on which the NHS is founded.

Between fecklessness and selfishness: is there a biologically optimal time for motherhood? A reply to Daniel Callahan. In Simonstein F (ed.) Reprogen-ethics and the future of gender. Springer. 2009. 105-117.
This chapter explores arguments commonly brought against the trend towards delaying motherhood. I suggest that on closer analysis many of these arguments are unfounded or based on over-simplified assumptions.

The ethics of egg donation in the over 50s Menopause International. 2008;14(4):173–177.
An overview of the ethical concerns raised by postmenopausal motherhood

The changing face of IVF regulation. Expert review of obstetrics & Gynecology. 2008;3(4):433-436.
An analysis of the regulatory environment since the birth of the first IVF baby in 1978.

From IVF to immortality: controversy in the era of reproductive technology. With Ruth Deech. Oxford University Press. 2007.
This book, co-authored with the former chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, explores some of the most contentious issues related to reproductive technology and embryo research.

Getting from the empirical to the ethical and back again. With Emma Baldock, Adele Langlois and Jon Ives. Health Care Analysis. 2008;16(1).
This editorial explores the meaning of 'empirical bioethics' and reviews five papers that engage diverse empirical approaches to ethical questions.

Deciding the fate of disputed embryos: ethical issues in the case of Natallie Evans. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Assisted Reproduction. 2007;4:2.
A critical analysis of some of the arguments against allowing a woman to use embryos created with the sperm of her former partner.

Harm, law and reproductive cloning. In Arguments and Analysis in Bioethics. Hayri M, Takala T. (eds). Rodopi Values in Bioethics Series. Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2010.
An evaluation of the claim that reproductive cloning should be banned on the grounds of harm to the clone.

The moral imperative for ectogenesis. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2007;16(3):336-345.
Using an argument based on Ronald Dworkin's conception of equality and justice, I argue that women's reproductive role is inherently unjust and that we should focus resources on finding alternatives.

State-funded IVF will make us rich ...or will it? Journal of Medical Ethics. 2007;33:468-469.
It has been argued that state-funded IVF would be profitable since the amount that the average citizen contributes in tax exceeds the money which would be spent on fertility treatment. I argue that this view is misguided and simplistic.

Artificial gametes: new paths to parenthood?. With Ainsley Newson. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2005;31(3):184-186.
Research on murine embryonic stem cells has revealed that in certain conditions they can differentiate into gametes. In this paper we explore the ethical implications if this development is achieved with human cells.