I think this is a fascinating example of a human-to-human “asymmetry of knowledge” problem: if the mothers had full knowledge of the situation, would they have consented?

I’m beginning to wonder if “asymmetry of knowledge” is the best ethical ground to call for better regulations in medicine and technology and who knows, government and even education reform - what puts the safety of the consumer/citizen first? How do you protect the many from the actions of one?

There’s a lot of grayness in terms of the morality of this particular situation. However, I wonder if the implied threat to abandon the children based on the mothers’ behavior is any indication of his true magnanimity.