Editing Multiple birth (section)

==Ethics of multiple births==
===Medically assisted procreation===
[[In vitro fertilization]] (IVF) was first successfully completed in the 1970s as a form of assisted reproductive technology. Out of all the assisted reproductive technology available that is currently in practice, in vitro fertilization has the highest chance of producing multiple offspring. Per each female egg, IVF currently has a 60–70% chance of conceiving. Fertilization is made possible by administering a fertility drug to the eggs or by directly injecting semen into the eggs.<ref name="www.acog.org" /> There is an increased chance for women over the age of 35 to have multiple births.<ref name="Beemsterboer-2006" /> IVF is a common genetic and ethical topic. Through IVF individuals can produce offspring successfully when natural procreation is not viable. However, in vitro can become genetically specific and allow for the selection of particular genes or expressible traits to be dominantly present in the formed embryo.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sigalos |first1=George Α. |last2=Triantafyllidou |first2=Olga |last3=Vlahos |first3=Nikos F. |date=2016-09-15 |title=Novel embryo selection techniques to increase embryo implantation in IVF attempts |journal=Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics |volume=294 |issue=6 |pages=1117–1124 |doi=10.1007/s00404-016-4196-5 |issn=0932-0067 |pmid=27628754 |s2cid=38282141}}</ref> Ethical dilemmas arise when determining health care coverage and the deviation from natural selection and gene variations. In regards to multiple births different ethical concerns arise from the use of in vitro fertilization. Overall, multiple pregnancies can cause potential harm to the mother and children due to potential complications. Such complications can include uterine bleeding and children not receiving equal nutrients.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Guntram |first1=Lisa |last2=Zeiler |first2=Kristin |date=2019-05-17 |title=The Ethics of the Societal Entrenchment-approach and the case of live uterus transplantation-IVF |journal=Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=557–571 |doi=10.1007/s11019-019-09891-w |issn=1386-7423 |pmc=6842335 |pmid=31102175 |doi-access=free}}</ref> IVF has also revealed some pre term deliveries and lower birth weights in babies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Porta |first1=Roser |last2=Capdevila |first2=Eva |last3=Botet |first3=Francesc |last4=Verd |first4=Sergi |last5=Ginovart |first5=Gemma |last6=Moliner |first6=Elisenda |last7=Nicolàs |first7=Marta |last8=Rios |first8=Jose |date=2017-09-22 |title=Morbidity and mortality of very low birth weight multiples compared with singletons |journal=The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=389–397 |doi=10.1080/14767058.2017.1379073 |issn=1476-7058 |pmid=28936899 |s2cid=26741575}}</ref> While some view medically assisted procreation as a saving grace to have children, others consider these procedure to be unnatural and costly to the community.

===Multifetal pregnancy reduction===
Multifetal pregnancy reduction is the reduction of one or more embryos from the bearing woman. [[Selective reduction]] usually occurs for pregnancies assisted by assisted reproductive technology (ART). The first multifetal pregnancy reductions to occur in a clinical setting took place in the 1980s. The procedure aims to reduce pregnancies down to approximately one to two fetuses. The overarching purpose of the procedure is not primarily to simply terminate life, but to increase the survival and success of the mother and babies. However, multifetal pregnancy reduction raises some ethical questions. The main argument is similar to [[abortion debate|abortion ethics]] in reduction of fetus versus fetus life. The protection of maternal well being versus harm of newly formed fetal life is an extension of the aforementioned ethical question.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rao |first=Radhika |date=August 2015 |title=Selective Reduction: "A Soft Cover for Hard Choices" or Another Name for Abortion? |journal=The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=196–205 |doi=10.1111/jlme.12233 |issn=1073-1105 |pmid=26242939 |s2cid=40482252}}</ref> It can be viewed that all life is important and that no life should be terminated without consent from the life that is being terminated. A polar opposite viewpoint advocates for the right of choice, that being the choice to terminate a pregnancy due to desire or pregnancy risks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Hong-Mei |last2=Li |first2=Hong-Yan |last3=Wang |first3=Xie-Tong |last4=Wang |first4=Yan-Yun |last5=Li |first5=Lei |last6=Liang |first6=Bo |last7=Wang |first7=Jing |last8=Song |first8=Jia |date=December 2017 |title=Radiofrequency ablation for selective reduction in complex monochorionic multiple pregnancies: A case series |journal=Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology |volume=56 |issue=6 |pages=740–744 |doi=10.1016/j.tjog.2017.10.006 |issn=1028-4559 |pmid=29241912 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Overall, most multifetal pregnancy reductions that occur as a result of ART are being done for the protection of the child-bearer's health and to maximize the health of the remaining fetuses.<ref name="Moore-2014" />