Abstract
Objective: This paper aims to explain the practical importance of placing a numeric value on the relative values of lives (or deaths) at different ages, including just before and after birth, and to implement one feasible method for estimating concrete inputs into such values. Methods: The study population consisted of an online convenience sample of 1628 unique individuals. They were each asked to fill out a short survey consisting of six demographic questions and one question requesting an explicit comparison of numbers of lives saved across groups of humans at different ages. Subjects were randomized into one of ten treatment conditions, where each condition involved a different comparison. The age groups which were asked about consisted of fetuses at 10 and 39 weeks gestation; pregnant women at 10 and 39 weeks gestation; infants in the first week of life; 1-year-old children; and adult women. Results: On average respondents valued younger fetuses less than more developed ones; fetuses less than children; children less than adult women; and women less than pregnant women. However, there was no discernible difference in valuation between 39-week fetuses and early neonatal infants. Female subjects valued all fetuses and children (relative to adult women) more highly than did male subjects. Conclusion: Meaningful data can be collected about sensitive topics using online experiments. In this case we find support for a continuously growing valuation of life with developmental age, starting early in gestation and without any sudden jump at birth.
Highlights
IntroductionThe question of when life begins, especially human life, has long been a fraught one
The question of when life begins, especially human life, has long been a fraught one. It has been addressed in philosophy [1,2,3,4], global health [5,6,7], and cost-effectiveness analysis [8,9], amongst other disciplines. It could be defined at a single point in time, whether that be conception; the transition from embryo to fetus; the beginning of viability outside the womb; the onset of sentience and an ability to feel pain; birth; consciousness, which almost certainly comes after birth; or some other point altogether
The proportion of respondents who refused to input an explicit number X ranged from 37% to 45% across all treatments, except for the two treatments involving 10-week fetuses or 10-week gestation babies, where it ranged from 56% to 60%
Summary
The question of when life begins, especially human life, has long been a fraught one It has been addressed in philosophy [1,2,3,4], global health [5,6,7], and cost-effectiveness analysis [8,9], amongst other disciplines. One may imagine that life begins not at a single point in time but rather over a gradual process of becoming a human being [1,5,10] This may appear as a foreign idea to many people, but in multiple respects it reflects the non-binary nature of the world. For many other purposes this is not the case and such an approach may be overly restrictive
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