Savior Siblings

By Susan Yoshihara, Ph.D. | March 4, 2011

In case you missed it, France’s first “saviour sibling” was born several weeks ago in Paris.

The child was selected for birth as an embryo, out of a dozen created, in order to help cure two siblings suffering blood disorders.

The event is a sign that the practice is gaining steam, while serious ethical response seems slow.

In her novel-turned-Hollywood movie on the subject, Jodi Picoult alerted us to the coming human rights debate: whose rights trump — the parents, older siblings, the savior baby?

Sooner rather than later, the Hollywood version of the rights debate should be extended to all of the children involved, including those unlucky ones not selected for birth.