Approximately 150,000 babies are born with birth defects each year, leading to the need for specialized care and raising complex ethical questions surrounding abortion. The document explores the moral implications of both pro-life and pro-choice perspectives, emphasizing parental rights, potential suffering of the child, and societal responsibilities. It discusses varying ethical theories and their applications to the situation of babies with disabilities, ultimately reflecting on changing societal views towards abortion and birth defects.

2. B I R T H D E F E C T S
E v e r y y e a r , a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 b a b i e s a r e b o r n w i t h
b i r t h d e f e c t s , w h i c h r e s u l t i n p h y s i c a l o r m e n t a l d i s a b i l i t y
o r , i n t h e w o r s t - c a s e s c e n a r i o , d e a t h .
A p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 % t o 3 % o f n e w b o r n s h a v e o n e o r m o r e
a b n o r m a l i t i e s a t b i r t h , b u t b y t h e a g e o f o n e , t h i s
p e r c e n t a g e h a d i n c r e a s e d t o 5 % ( C l e v e l a n d C l i n i c )
B a b i e s w i t h b i r t h d e f e c t s f r e q u e n t l y r e q u i r e s p e c i a l i z e d
c a r e a n d i n t e r v e n t i o n s i n o r d e r t o s u r v i v e a n d t h r i v e
d e v e l o p m e n t a l l y .

3. B i r t h d e f o r m i t y i s l i n k e d t o a b o r t i o n ,
w i t h t h e d i l e m m a o f w h e t h e r i t i s m o r a l
t o k i l l t h e c h i l d b y v i r t u e o f e u t h a n a s i a
o r m e r c y k i l l i n g . A l s o , t h e q u e s t i o n o f
w h e t h e r i t i s b e t t e r t o l e t t h e c h i l d l i v e
w h i l e e x p e r i e n c i n g f i n a n c i a l , s o c i a l ,
a n d p s y c h o l o g i c a l p r o b l e m s a n d s e e i n g
t h e c h i l d e n d u r e a w r e t c h e d e x i s t e n c e .
E T H I C A L I S S U E S

4. C O N S E Q U E N C E
O F T H E A C T I O N
P R O - L I F E
- r u i n e d q u a l i t y
o f l i f e f o r b o t h
t h e f a m i l y a n d
t h e b a b y
C O N S E Q U E N C E
O F T H E A C T I O N
P R O - A B O R T I O N
- p r e v e n t i n g m o r e
s u f f e r i n g
- n o t g i v i n g t h e
r i g h t t o l i f e
- v i o l a t i n g o n e ' s
p a r e n t a l d u t i e s a n d
r i g h t s
A F F E C T E D
P A R T I E S
M o t h e r
B a b y
F a m i l y M e m b e r s
D o c t o r s
R e l i g i o u s A d v i s e r s
H e a l t h c a r e S p e c i a l i s t
N u r s e s

5. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES / OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES
PRO-ABORTION
1
2
3
4
The Kantian Ethics (Immanuel Kant)
The Right and the Good (William David Ross)
Situation Ethics (Joseph Fletcher)
Utilitarian Ethics
For them, it is more moral to give the defective baby a painless death rather than subject the
baby to medical treatment, which could cost a lot of money and prolong the infant's suffering.

6. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES / OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES
PRO-LIFE
John Rawls’ Theory of Justice
The Natural Law Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas
The Ethics of Stoicism
Christian Ethics
1
2
3
4
Choose to keep the defective baby alive because taking someone's life is immoral, the child's
situation could be a Divine Director's plan, and it is necessary to consider both ordinary and
extraordinary treatment.

7. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES / OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES
1 The Pragmatic Ethics
The decision should be based on the parents' financial capability.

8. Consider the case of Baby Theresa Ann Campo
Pearson, a "baby without a brain" whose parents
considered donating her organs because she was
going to die soon.
POTENTIAL ACTION

9. That type of "inhumane practice"—killing one person to save another—is morally wrong
because it restricts the child's freedom to live according to God's will.
However, medical and professional people considered it moral based on scientific belief
and the fact that the unfortunate infant's organ could help another child who is struggling
to survive with no neurological defects.
In that case, the question is, "Should she have been killed so that her
organs could have saved other children?"
Surprisingly, few of professional ethicists, agreed.
CHRISTIAN AND
THEOLOGIAN ANALYSIS

10. The rights of a mother and her unborn child, according to the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops, deserve equal protection because they are based on the dignity of
the human person, regardless of his or her condition. As a result, it is never morally
justifiable to directly cause the death of an innocent person, regardless of their age or
condition.
According to Missouri Medicine, the basic pro-life position is based on an analogy drawn
or assumed between the embryo or fetus and a normal, innocent human being or person.
The embryo or fetus is thought to be relevantly similar to a normal human being, and
therefore it has the same right to life and should be treated as such. Pro-lifers take this
similarity is obvious and the analogy is simple; thus, they are perplexed and outraged by
the pro-choices’ seeming refusal to treat an embryo or fetus in the same way they would
treat a normal, innocent human being.

11. 1
2
U T I L I T A R I A N E T H I C S T H E P R A G M A T I C E T H I C S
W h e n t h e d e f o r m i t y i s
s e v e r e e n o u g h t h a t a l l
m e d i c a l m e a s u r e s a r e
u n n e c e s s a r y e x c e p t t o
p r o l o n g t h e b a b y ' s l i f e ,
t h e m o s t r e a l i s t i c a n d
p r a c t i c a l d e c i s i o n t o b e
m a d e i s t o e n d t h e b a b y ' s
l i f e a s q u i c k l y a n d
p a i n l e s s l y a s p o s s i b l e .
T H E K A N T I A N E T H I C S
( I M M A N U E L K A N T ) A N D
T H E R I G H T A N D T H E G O O D
( W I L L I A M D A V I D R O S S )
T h e p o t e n t i a l a c t i o n
i s d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e
s i t u a t i o n a s w e l l a s
t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s
a n d d u t i e s o f a h u m a n
b e i n g .
POTENTIAL ACTIONS
J u s t i f y t h e t e r m i n a t i o n o f
t h e d e f o r m e d b a b y w i t h
t h e f o l l o w i n g r e a s o n s :
P e r s o n a l - t o o m u c h p a i n
f o r t h e b a b y , a s w e l l a s
t h e d i s c o m f o r t i t c a u s e s a
f a m i l y m e m b e r .
S o c i a l - t h e d e f o r m e d b a b y
i s a l i a b i l i t y t o t h e
c o m m u n i t y r a t h e r t h a n a n
a s s e t .

12. ETHICAL ACTION
In a reflective analysis, the bias is placed on the thought of what is right by focusing on a
proper ethical action.
When it comes to the moral issue of birth deformities, the students use the phrase "my body, my
rules."
As we approach a new era of acceptance and liberty, we should emphasize that no universal
rule should be implemented or sought after, but rather actions should be based on situations
involving the main affected party. A woman is a vessel of life; therefore, she must decide what
action will be taken against her in her physical, mental, and emotional bodies. Many factors will
influence her decision, but the final decision should be made by the bearer and giver of life.

13. Christian Law, specifically St. Thomas Aquinas' Natural Law Ethics, is one that opposes such
actions.
As the community is pro-life, it opposes all things that harm or end life. However, as ancient
as it was, it is also not applicable to the 21st century because it forbids freedom and
acceptance of people's choices.
Some factors may lead to a woman's pregnancy, while others are so unethical and immoral
that abortion of the child is much more considerate of the person's mental state. Rape, for
example, is one of the most unethical and immoral acts, but was it the victim's fault to bear
the burden for the rest of his or her life?
OPPOSING ARGUMENTS/PRINCIPLES

14. Unplanned pregnancy is also immoral in the sense that it destroys life in some cases; plans,
stability, and even dreams are practically derailed by this; the law and belief have made
people believe abortion is bad to the point where they sacrifice their plans because of it.
On a broad scale, communities and societies suffer, such as the Philippines, where
overpopulation is a problem, as a result of teen pregnancy and the educational system's
failure to teach students about proper intercourse out of fear that the majority will oppose it.
Even if one's religion forbids anything against life, not everyone is pro-life. Our community's
progress toward unity is slowed by laws, beliefs, and traditions.
OPPOSING ARGUMENTS/PRINCIPLES

15. Most people today are accepting, especially the youth, who are starting to think universally —
accepting and considerate of women's choices regarding their bodies and physical
characteristics of a person.
A baby with minor deformities may be aborted or allowed to live, but in either case, life is
nearly normal.
Bullying may also occur, but most people would rush to defend the person during this time.
SOLUTION

16. On a critical level, putting out a dying fire is more considerate than letting it burn slowly to
nothing. Some may argue that life would be unfair to the individual affected, but this is only
true if the anomaly is fatal. The likelihood of it extending life is extremely low, and it is far
more beneficial to help those in need of transplant whose lives are repairable.
Even though professional mental or emotional health is not currently the norm in this country,
it is recommended if such a trauma or dilemma occurs.
Living with birth deformities and having done abortion is never unethical. What is unethical
and immoral are those who discriminate and deject these people.
SOLUTION

17. Even if the child is diagnosed as a fetal matter, abortion is
not an option in the Philippines because the law prohibits it
and it is immoral in terms of the ethics they believe in. As
citizens of the country, it is observed that as long as the
baby is born, that is all that matters, resulting in not
considering the child's future, the complications to face,
and family planning.
ETHICAL ANALYSIS
(PH CONTEXT)
Christianity has such a strong effect in the Philippines that
anything that violates God's Law is considered immoral.
Abortion, euthanasia, divorce, and annulment are examples
of forbidden acts because they tamper with one's beliefs.
However, in this day and age, sex education and birth
control are being infused as they may be a solution to many
of the problems that the government is facing.

18. One of the issues that arises when a person has a birth
defect is human harm, such as bullying. However, as a new
generation emerges, it is observed that society is shifting
toward a non-judgmental and liberty society, as well as
breaking norms and traditions that were once in place.
People are becoming more open-minded and empowered
to the point where we can conclude that in the future,
abortion may be considered morally right rather than giving
life and wasting it.
ETHICAL ANALYSIS
(PH CONTEXT)

19. In the United States of America, a leftist politician wants to
enact an abortion bill that would allow women who are
unexpectedly pregnant to abort the child even if it was only
6 - 9 months old.
Contraception is widely available in the Western world, and
abortion is legal as a means of reducing population growth.
ETHICAL ANALYSIS
(WORLDVIEW)

20. P r o - l i f e r s a r e m o s t l y C h r i s t i a n s w h o s t r e n g t h e n
t h e i r f a i t h a n d o b e y G o d ' s L a w a s w e l l a s t h e
N a t u r a l I n c l i n a t i o n o f t h e H u m a n P e r s o n , w h i c h i s
s p e c i e s p r o p a g a t i o n .
P r o - c h o i c e a d v o c a t e s v a l u e t h e h u m a n r i g h t t o
c h o o s e o r m a k e t h e i r o w n d e c i s i o n s .