Brain harvesting lights up fetal body parts debate

The commercial harvesting of brains from aborted infants has further set alight the raging debate about trading in fetal body parts.

Although it’s illegal to “sell” human tissue, commercial providers get around the prohibition by charging for their ‘time’ in extracting body parts from aborted babies and then shipping them worldwide.

The latest company to hit the headlines this week is StemCells Inc, which has just gained federal approval in the US to harvest the brains from abortions, and use them in experiments.

Lifesite News quotes pro-life advocate Scott Fischbach on the implications of baby harvesting for research:

“StemCells Inc. is not using embryonic stem cells. A five-day-old human being at the embryonic stage does not have a brain, but a fetus at 10 or 20 weeks of development with visible fingers, toes and ears has a functioning brain,” said Fischbach. “Developing human beings in the womb are treated simply as raw material for laboratory experimentation by StemCells Inc. and other companies seeking to monetize aborted unborn children.”

Meanwhile, bloggers have discovered price lists for fetal body parts, where limbs and organs are provided in “small economical pack sizes”.