We May One Day Grow Babies Outside the Womb, But There Are Many Things to Consider First

November 12, 2019

(The Conversation) – The idea of growing babies outside the body has inspired novels and movies for decades. Now, research groups around the world are exploring the possibility of artificial gestation. For instance, one group successfully grew a lamb in an artificial womb for four weeks. Australian researchers have also experimented with artificial gestation for lambs and sharks.  And in recent weeks, researchers in The Netherlands have received €2.9m (A$4.66m) to develop a prototype for gestating premature babies. So it’s important to consider some of the ethical issues this technology might bring.