ABSTRACT
Terminology in this field is not uniform and it may be helpful to define some of the terms used in this chapter – and, in particular, to distinguish between experimental treatment, research and experimentation. The distinction between research and experimentation is frequently blurred and, to some, may be non-existent. Fetal tissues tend to set up an immune reaction less readily than do their adult counterparts and fetal cells of several types – such as bone marrow cells or those of the thymus – may be valuable in the therapy of diseased infants. The chapter suggests that the shortage of ova for the treatment of infertile women could be met, at least in part, by the use of fetal ovaries or ova which could either be brought to maturity in the laboratory or used as implants within the patient's body. The problems associated with research in the dead fetus are also related to consent.
