--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In natural pregnancy, more than half of…" description: "\"In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of infant mortality..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/michael-sandel-10344_ambitious_in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-f_143757.jpg" --- # In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs… ![“In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of infant mortality? And if so, why are we not mounting ambitious public health campaigns to try to save and rescue all of the fertilized eggs that are lost in…” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/michael-sandel-10344_ambitious_in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-f_143757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/michael-sandel-10344_ambitious_in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-f_143757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/michael-sandel-10344_ambitious_in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-f_143757.jpg) > “In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of infant mortality? And if so, why are we not mounting ambitious public health campaigns to try to save and rescue all of the fertilized eggs that are lost in natural pregnancy? We would need a public health campaign of massive proportions if there really were over a fifty percent rate of infant mortality.” [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The high loss of fertilized eggs raises ethical questions about defining infant mortality and the scope of public health interventions. **In simple terms:** Many embryos die naturally, prompting debate on health campaigns. Key Takeaway Consider ethical limits of reproductive health policies. Themes ethics public health reproductive biology Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - medical research - public health planning - ethical debates Key Concepts mortality rates policy design resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - Should natural biological loss be treated like disease? - How do cultural values shape health priorities? A Different Perspective Limited resources and societal priorities may outweigh benefits of large‑scale interventions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Infant mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infant-mortality/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Pregnancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnancy/) [Public health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-health/) ## Related quotes > [I can't think of any mother who would think twice about discussing the changes that happen to their body during pregnancy. 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In an advanced one it is to keep alive the aged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/in-an-underdeveloped-society-the-first-anxiety-is-of-infant-mortality/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I believe the only way we'll be able to solve infant mortality - and other huge social problems - is by designing solutions for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-chen/i-believe-the-only-way-we-ll-be-able-to-solve-infant-mortality-and/) [Jane Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-chen/) > [He who disdains the fall in infant mortality and the gradual disappearance of famines and plagues may cast the first stone upon the materialism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/he-who-disdains-the-fall-in-infant-mortality-and-the-gradual/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“Your nation is the richest, most powerful on the Earth, and it has one of the highest infant mortality rates. Why? Because poor people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/your-nation-is-the-richest-most-powerful-on-the-earth-and-it-has-one/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Reports to the Surgeon General represent the final word upon the efficient and devoted sense of responsibility of our people in this obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/reports-to-the-surgeon-general-represent-the-final-word-upon-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Pregnancies spaced too closely together lead to increased rates of infant mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-northam/pregnancies-spaced-too-closely-together-lead-to-increased-rates-of/) [Ralph Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-northam/) > [Social mobility decreased under Labour and under the current government it is reversing. The differences between the poorest and richest are returning to Victorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-trigell/social-mobility-decreased-under-labour-and-under-the-current/) [Jonathan Trigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-trigell/) > [“If you have not died in the womb, or fallen prey to infant mortality, or to a young girl's greensickness, or to the dangers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elspeth-marr/if-you-have-not-died-in-the-womb-or-fallen-prey-to-infant-mortality/) [Elspeth Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elspeth-marr/) > [The infant mortality rates are insanely high. The obesity epidemic is on the rise. It is all related.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-williams-paisley/the-infant-mortality-rates-are-insanely-high-the-obesity-epidemic-is/) [Kimberly Williams-Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-williams-paisley/) ## More by Michael Sandel > [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [If parents are aiming at choosing children who will be good athletes, or great musicians, or who will get into Ivy League schools, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/if-parents-are-aiming-at-choosing-children-who-will-be-good-athletes/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Aiming at giving our kids a competitive edge in a consumer society - that, in principle, is a goal that is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-giving-our-kids-a-competitive-edge-in-a-consumer-society/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [What I really want for my children is that they be loved and that they be happy and that they lead a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/what-i-really-want-for-my-children-is-that-they-be-loved-and-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The relief of suffering is a great good. 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It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-arguments-and-the-ethical-status-of/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. What matters is that people of different backgrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/democracy-does-not-require-perfect-equality-but-it-does-require-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Parenthood is a school for humility. We can't choose the precise traits of our children, and that is morally important. It teaches us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/parenthood-is-a-school-for-humility-we-can-t-choose-the-precise/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I'm a supporter of embryonic stem cell research. I do think there are very important moral and also religious questions at stake in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-m-a-supporter-of-embryonic-stem-cell-research-i-do-think-there-are/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) [Explore all 66 Michael Sandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. 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The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. 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It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of infant mortality? And if so, why are we not mounting ambitious public health campaigns to try to save and rescue all of the fertilized eggs that are lost in natural pregnancy? 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