International Comparison of the Handling of Dead Fetuses

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25500013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bioethics
• Research Institution: Fukui National College of Technology (2014-2015); Akashi National College of Technology (2013)
• Principal Investigator: Mori Yoshichika 福井工業高等専門学校, 一般科目(人文系), 准教授 (70367928)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KATO TAKIKO 岐阜医療科学大学, 保健科学部, 講師 (10434523)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAMAI MARIKO 信州大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80283274) ; SHIMIZU KUNIHIKO 金沢大学, 人間科学系, 准教授 (50313630)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 死亡胎児 / 埋葬法 / 死産 / 流産 / 中絶 / 水子供養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fetal tissues and organs are useful for regenerative medicine or other medical research. Though fetal tissues and organs are usually used in medical research, it is not clear how dead fetuses are disposed or buried and what is the ethically proper procedure to handle them. As a result of this research, it is found out that legal regulations concerning the treatment of dead fetuses have been reformed since the late 1990s in Germany and Austria. According to the German Civil Status Act, parents of a stillborn child, that is, a dead fetus weighing more than 500 g, may register the child's name in birth records. As for burial, it is governed by the law of each state. Most states of Germany and Austria require parents to bury a fetus when it exceeds a certain weight, and permit burial of a fetus upon parents' request if the weight is below threshold. These regulations were induced as a result of petitions from parents who had experienced a miscarriage or a stillbirth.

Free Research Field

生命倫理