New Reproductive Technologies and the Emergence of New Ethical Issues in the Field of Children’s Rights from Brenda Almond's Point of View

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original/ Research Article

Authors
Mariyeh Shareb 1
Maryam Ardeshir Larijani 2
1 Master’s degree in Islamic Ethics, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Moral Philosophy, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.
10.30497/flj.2025.248374.2192
Abstract
Today, greater access to new reproductive technologies has raised numerous ethical issues. The significance of this subject lies in the fact that new reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization, gamete donation, and surrogacy, have introduced new ethical dilemmas regarding children’s rights and their genetic identity, despite helping to resolve infertility problems. These concerns are frequently overlooked in legal and ethical policymaking, where adult interests are often prioritized over the rights of children. This study aims to investigate the ethical issues surrounding new reproductive technologies, with an emphasis on children’s rights, from the perspective of Brenda Almond, utilizing a descriptive-analytical method. Among the most significant ethical challenges arising from new reproductive technologies are depriving children of knowledge regarding their genetic identity, redefining parenthood, the decline of the traditional family, the commercialization of reproduction, posthumous reproduction, designing babies with desired traits, selecting for deafness, and human cloning. The findings indicate that neglecting children’s right to know their genetic background leads to identity crises and undermines their rights. Therefore, establishing more precise laws and ethical frameworks is essential to protect children’s rights and ensure their long-term interests.
Keywords
Reproductive ethics
Brenda Almond
Ethical challenges
Children's rights
Human cloning
New reproductive technologies
Genetic identity
Subjects

مقالۀ حاضر، مستخرج از پایان نامۀ کارشناسی ارشد با عنوان تبیین و ارزیابی مسئلۀ فرزندآوری ازمنظر اخلاقی براساس دیدگاه برندا آموند [آلموند]، از دانشگاه قم است.

Almond, B. (2007). Ethical challenges and the new technologies of reproduction. In Ethics (pp 201-212).  Policy Press‏.
––––––––––––––. (2008). Reproductive choice: Whose rights? Whose freedom?. In The Contingent Nature of Life: Bioethics and Limits of Human Existence (pp. 169-182). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.‏
––––––––––––––. (2006). The fragmenting family. New York: Oxford University Press.‏
Asadi, L. S. (2009). The Child's Right to Identity, Journal of Jurisprudence and Family Law, 13(49), 26. [In Persian]
Bowlby, J (1969). Attachment and loss. New York: Basic books.
Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia. . (1393, October 7) Retrieved from https://www.cgie.org.ir/fa/news/25721. [In Persian]
Charlesworth, M. J .(1993).  .‏Bioethics in a liberal society. Cambridge University Press.
Council of Europe. (2001). Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine: European Treaty Series No. 164—Oviedo, 4/4 1997. Die Bedeutung der Philosophie für die Rechtswissenschaft: dargestellt am Beispiel der Menschenrechtskonvention zur .Biomedizin, 67-80.
Edwards, R. G. (1966). . Mammalian eggs in the laboratory. Scientific American,215(2), 72-81.  
Eslami, S. H. (2006). chaleshesaye akhlaghi shabiersazi ensan. faslnameh elmi - pajoosheshi motaleat akhlagh karbordi, 2(4), 7-56. [In Persian]
––––––––––––––. (2007). shabiesazi ensan az didegah katolik va eslam, qom: markz motaleat va tahghighat adian va mazaheb, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Harris, J.(2000). “The Welfare of the Child”. Health Care Analysis, 8, 27-34.
Harris, J., & Holm, S. (Eds.). (1998). The future of human reproduction: ethics choice, and regulation. Oxford University Press, USA.
Hashempour, M. (1400). shabieh sazi ensan az manzar fagheh va hoquq, Tehran: pajvak adalat, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Kaheizi, M., Hoseinizadeh, S. A., & Bostan (Najafi), H. (2014). Ethical Challenges of Feminism about Childbearing and their Solutions from Islam's Perspective, Research Quarterly in Islamic Ethics, 7(24), 7-24. [In Persian]
Kass, L. R (1979). Making babies revisited. The Public Interest , 32-54.
Khodami, N. (2016). madari; hoquq va masouliyatha, qom: daftar motaleat va tahghighat zanan, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Moeinifar, M. (2012). A Study on the Rights of Children Relating Identity in Islam and International Documents, Family Law and Jurisprudence, 17(56), 117. [In Persian]
––––––––––––––. (2014). shabieh sazi dar didgahaye dini va andishehhaye hoquqi, Tehran: nashr mizan, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Nosrati Maralloo, A. (2012). laghah masnoei va ehdaye janin az manzar fagheh va hoquq Eslam, Tehran: khorsandi, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Okin, S. M. (1989). Justice, gender, and the family (Vol . 171). New York: Basic books.
Rasekh, M., & Khodaparast, A. H. (2008). A right to know one's biological parents, Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, 8(3), 247-258. [In Persian]
Robertson, J. A. (1994).Children of choice: freedom and the new reproductive .technologies Princeton University Press
Sandel, M. J. (2007). The case against perfection: Ethics in the age of genetic engineering. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
––––––––––––––. (2019). Ensan Binaqs: akhlagh dar asr mohandesi zhenetik, (Afshin Khakbaz, motarjam). taharan: farhang neshar no, chap chaharom (nashr asar asli 2009). [In Persian]
SHa’ban, M. (1401). New Reproductive-Biological Technologies and Child Rights: An Introduction to the Future of Childhood in Iran, tamadon hoquqi, 5 (10): 314-283. [In Persian]
Shenfield, F., & Steele, S. J. (1997).What are the effects of anonymity and secrecy on the welfare of the child in gamete donation? Human reproduction. (Oxford, England),  12(2),  392-395.
Sotoudeh Khorasani, H. (2019). raveshhaye novin tolid mesl ensan: raveshhaye novin talqih masnoei, qom: hozeh elmiyeh qom, markz takhasosi mahdadvit, chap Aval. [In Persian]
The family(2008) - OpenLearn - Open University. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20080121110325/https://www.open.edu/openlearn/h.istory-the-arts/culture/philosophy/the-family.
Velleman, J. D. (2005). Family history. Philosophical Papers , 34(3), 357 378.
Woodward, J. (2019). akhlagh dar fenavari shabiesazi ensan (sayed mohmmad hadi razavi, motarjam). Tehran: sazman entesharat jahad daneshgahi, chap Aval. [In Persian]
Wymelenberg, S. (1990).Science and babies: Private decisions, public dilemmas .National Academies Press
Zeinab Shams, Z., & Njafi, M. J. (2022). nvestigating Barriers to Childbearing from the Perspective of Quran and Hadiths (With a Critical Approach toward the Feminist Arguments), Biannual Journal of Research Narrative Interpretation of Quran, 8(16), 99-126. [In Persian]
 
 
Biannual Journal of Family Law And Jurisprudence

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 October 2025