Professor Maggie Little on Ethical Challenges and Barriers in Pregnancy Research
Professor Maggie Little, Director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University,, offers a compelling discussion on the ethical complexities and practical barriers inherent in pregnancy research. In her talk, she highlights how historical exclusion of pregnant people from clinical studies has created significant gaps in evidence about safety, treatment, and outcomes. Professor Little emphasizes the need for ethical frameworks that balance protection with inclusion, ensuring pregnant individuals are neither exploited nor ignored by research practices. Her insights shed light on how concerns about vulnerability, risk, and consent shape research design and policy, reinforcing the importance of ethics in advancing equitable health knowledge for all stages of life.