Technology and Motherhood

Medical and Reproductive Technologies

Assisted reproduction became a multibillion-dollar business by the late 20th century. The development of artificial insemination techniques and sperm banks allowed women to conceive a child outside of a sexual relationship. The development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) allowed women with previously untreatable infertility problems such as blocked fallopian tubes to conceive and bear children. It has also allowed women to bear children later in life than had been previously possible. During IVF, a harvested egg is fertilized in a laboratory and the resulting embryo is implanted in the mother's womb. The first so-called “test tube baby,” Louise Joy Brown, was born to Lesley and John Brown of Britain on July 25, 1978. In some cases, donor eggs and sperm are used. The common use of fertility drugs before such procedures has greatly increased the number of multiple births.

Other medical technologies have also impacted motherhood, making childbirth safer for both mother and infant. Prenatal testing technologies such as ultrasounds, which noninvasively capture images of the fetus within the womb, and amniocentesis, a minor surgical procedure that samples the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus, allow obstetricians to uncover chromosomal abnormalities, genetic disorders, or other potential problems. In some cases, surgery can be performed within the womb to correct problems. Babies born prematurely (preemies) or with birth defects have better odds of survival due to improved neonatal medical technology. Genetic DNA testing can help women who need to determine biological paternity. During the late 20th century, a movement away from what many women felt was the impersonal nature of technology-driven modern obstetrics led to a revival of midwifery, natural childbirth, and home births. Women who do not wish to become mothers also have more choices due to advances in the areas of contraception and abortion.

Developments in medical and reproductive technologies have also led to numerous medical, ethical, legal, social, and political controversies. The fields of birth control and abortion have always created controversy, and clinics that provide such services often encounter resistance from organizations or individuals, such as the pro-life movement against abortion. Many physicians implant more than one embryo during IVF to increase the odds of success, which can result in controversial multiple births or the selective reduction in the number of embryos. Cryogenics allows scientists to freeze embryos for later use, but this practice raises the controversial question of what to do with those that are no longer needed. When prenatal testing reveals the presence of a major birth defect or genetic disorder, parents are allowed the controversial decision of whether to carry the fetus to full term or abort. Ethical questions also include whether women should sell their eggs or charge a fee to serve as surrogate mothers. The social and political aspects of such ethical questions means that mothers must base their decisions on government regulations as well as medical information.

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