Snowflake children

Snowflake children is a term used by organizations that promote the adoption of embryos left over from in vitro fertilization to describe children that result, where the children's parents were not the original cell donors. These embryos are transferred to infertile couples via "embryo adoption", although the legal process of taking ownership of an embryo differs from that of traditional adoption. According to a CBS News article dated July 28, 2005, the term "Snowflake" was coined by the first agency to provide the transfer service, Nightlight Christian Adoptions. One hundred thirty-four children have been born from this program. [ [http://www.nightlight.org/Snowflakesfacts.pdf Nightlight Christian Adoptions] ]

Members of the Nightlight Christian Adoptions, the Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign, and others now also use the term for the frozen embryos themselves.

While the term "Snowflake babies" has been used to describe babies born in this manner, the first snowflake children are no longer babies. According to the CBS News article, the first snowflake baby, Hannah, was born in 1998 to Marlene and John Strege.

President George W. Bush has made public appearances together with snowflake children while speaking about his support for adult stem cell research and his opposition to embryonic stem cell research.

Criticism of the term

Members of the Nightlight Christian Adoptions, the Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign, and Embryos Alive Adoption Agency use the term "snowflake baby" as a synonym for any embryo that has been frozen. [cite web | url=http://www.rfcnet.org/news/default.asp?action=detail&article=307 | title=LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING MAY 27, 2005; STEM CELLS AND SNOWFLAKE BABIES | publisher=Religious Freedom Coalition | date=27 May 2005 | accessdate=2006-08-29] However, that use of the term, and the related term "embryo adoption," are controversial. [cite web
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076556/
title=The problem with ‘embryo adoption’: Why is the government giving money to ‘Snowflakes?’
publisher=MSNBC
date=24 June 2003
author= Arthur Caplan, Ph. D.
accessdate=2006-08-29] [cite web
url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/12/04/how_do_you_adopt_a_frozen_egg/
title=How do you 'adopt' a frozen egg?'
publisher=Boston Globe
date=4 December 2005
author= Susan L. Crockin
accessdate=2006-08-29] [cite web
url=http://www.grg.org/SnowflakeBush.htm
title= GRG Editorial: White House Snow Flakes in May?
publisher= GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
date=25 May 2005
accessdate=2006-08-29] cite web
url=http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&refer=columnist_carlson&sid=av9VLna_E6_4
title= `Snowflakes' Cloud Debate on Stem-Cell Bill: Margaret Carlson
publisher= Bloomberg News
date=9 June 2005
author= Margaret Carlson
accessdate=2006-08-29]

External links

* [http://www.nightlight.org/snowflakeadoption.htm Nightlight Christian Adoptions Snowflakes Program]
* [http://www.embryoadoption.org/ Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign]
* [http://www.embryosalive.com Embryo Adoption Agency]

Notes