My life saved at what cost?

[Newbie2]

Embryonic stem cells are something very specific. They are available only in certain stages of development-- I believe it is at the 8 cell blastocyte stage-- before they begin differentiating.

A miscarried fetus does not have embryonic stem cells, they have passed that stage and their cells are differentiated into organs, skin, blood, etc.

That’s not necessarily the case; it depends on the age of the fetus. Fetal cells may, and I stress, may, have the capability of differentiating when adult cells do not. Research to date has shown that potential, at least with animal fetal cells. The thing is that we just don’t know yet the full potential of these cells.

Miscarried fetal stem cells would certainly be permissible to use in research, assuming a spontaneous miscarriage; this would be similar in a moral sense of using umbilical cord cells for such research. However, the potential for slippery-slope abuse is very high, as you can imagine doctors verifying a supposed “spontaneous miscarriage” which was really a purposefull abortion.

I don’t really understand the objection to adult and umbilical cord stem cell research by those who favor embyonic stem cell research…well, I understand the ***real ***reasons behind it, but it’s frustrating that so may falsehoods are bandied about in support of harvesting embryos.