On 20 March 2024, the Italian Minister of Health, in collaboration with the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) and the National Health Council (Consiglio Superiore di Sanità), issued updated guidelines for assisted reproduction technologies (ART). They introduced two key changes: (1) permitting post-mortem embryo transfers, allowing a woman to proceed with the procedure after her male partner's death, and (2) permitting embryo transfer even if the male partner is alive but the relationship has ended. : This study explores the ethical and medico-legal challenges posed by the updated Italian ART Guidelines, with a specific focus on the complexities of informed consent and the ethical dilemmas introduced by these provisions. : This study employs a comprehensive review of legislation, case law, and a comparative analysis of national and international norms. Primary and secondary sources include laws, regulations, court decisions, and key ethical and medico-legal perspectives. Results were organized into two thematic areas: the medico-legal dimension, focusing on informed consent, and the ethical dimension, addressing post-mortem and ex-partner embryo transfers. : The new guidelines exacerbate the already intricate ART landscape in Italy. Post-mortem and post-relationship embryo transfers raise significant ethical concerns and amplify legal uncertainties. : These updates highlight the pressing need for legislative reform to address unresolved ethical and legal issues in ART.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13020195 | DOI Listing |
Healthcare (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Health Care Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
On 20 March 2024, the Italian Minister of Health, in collaboration with the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) and the National Health Council (Consiglio Superiore di Sanità), issued updated guidelines for assisted reproduction technologies (ART). They introduced two key changes: (1) permitting post-mortem embryo transfers, allowing a woman to proceed with the procedure after her male partner's death, and (2) permitting embryo transfer even if the male partner is alive but the relationship has ended. : This study explores the ethical and medico-legal challenges posed by the updated Italian ART Guidelines, with a specific focus on the complexities of informed consent and the ethical dilemmas introduced by these provisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Legal Med
January 2025
Centro de Estatística e Aplicações Universidade de Lisbao, CEAUL, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa no Bloco C6 - Piso 4, Lisboa, 1749-016, Portugal.
Introduction: In the reconstructive phase of medico-legal human identification, the sex estimation is crucial in the reconstruction of the biological profile and can be applied both in identifying victims of mass disasters and in the autopsy room. Due to the inherent subjectivity associated with traditional methods, artificial intelligence, specifically, convolutional neural networks (CNN) may present a competitive option.
Objectives: This study evaluates the reliability of VGG16 model as an accurate forensic sex prediction algorithm and its performance using orthopantomography (OPGs).
Forensic Sci Int
January 2025
Department of Forensic Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Diagnosing drowning as a cause of death remains complex in forensic pathology, demanding integration of autopsy findings, contextual evidence, and case-specific variables. This study systematically reviews literature on lung weights in adult drowning cases, analyzing data from 20 studies to evaluate lung weight as an evidentiary factor in the diagnosis of drowning deaths. Additionally, this study seeks to examine the impact of covariates such as water salinity (freshwater vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Legal Med
January 2025
Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland.
In forensic neuropathology, the β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) immunostain is used to diagnose axonal injury (AI). The two most common aetiologies are traumatic (TAI) and ischaemic (vascular; VAI). We aimed to identify background characteristics and neuropathology findings that are suggestive of TAI, VAI, or no AI in neuropathologically examined medico-legal autopsy cases.
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