There are a variety of medical dangers associated with human cloning. There is already evidence from the cloning of other mammals that shows this.
Cloned mammals die younger than non-cloned mammals and prematurely suffer from diseases associated with old age such as arthritis. Dolly the sheep died young and suffered from arthritis among other things. Studies have shown that cloned mice have died prematurely from tumors, damaged livers and pneumonia. Cloned animals are at a higher risk of having genetic defects and being born deformed and some cloned animals appear healthy at birth die for no known reason.
There are also significant health risks related to the mother. The Report of the President’s Council on Bioethics warns that, “animal studies suggest that late-term fetal losses and spontaneous abortions occur substantially more often with cloned fetuses than in natural pregnancies. In humans, such late term fetal loss may lead to substantially increased maternal morbidity and mortality.” (
Human Cloning and Human Dignity: The Report of
the President’s Council on Bioethics
. Public Affairs Reports, 2002)
The National Academy of Science also says “Results of animal studies suggest that reproductive cloning of humans would similarly pose a high risk to the health of both the fetus or infant and lead to associated psychological risks for the mother as a consequence of late spontaneous abortions or the birth of a stillborn child or a child with severe health problems.” ( Kass, Leon.
Life Liberty and the Defense of Dignity
, Encounter, 2004)