Termination of Pregnancy Should Be Considered in Serious Genetic Alteration - Essay Example

Should termination of pregnancy be considered in serious genetic alteration? Introduction The decision to interrupt an abnormal pregnancy is a profound experience that permeates all areas of a woman’s life. ”Few would argue that advances in medical technology are not beneficial, yet the development of prenatal diagnostic techniques is occurring at such a rate that it exceeds our abilities to deal with the consequent ethical, moral and psychological issue of abortion for fetal abnormality. Unless these reproductive issues remain the subject of continual ethical debate, there is little hope of achieving agreement between an individual’s personal moral philosophy and what they may be required to do in practice.” (Devane & Devane, 2000). Background of the issue A rational analysis of literature reveals that women throughout the world have been terminating unwanted pregnancies, whereas, termination of pregnancy must be undertaken within the legal frame work. Termination of pregnancy means deliberately ending the progress of fetus before it progresses to a baby, and it is the intentional ending of pregnancy by evacuation of the uterus before fetus has developed into a baby. Abortion raises controversial and serious ethical questions world wide. Most of the religions in the world are against abortion. Termination of unwanted pregnancy is legal only when it is for medical, private or social reasons when pregnancy poses a serious threat to the physical or mental health of the mother, physical or mental health of the unborn child, and pregnancy due to rape or incest. Abortion under any other circumstances is considered as illegal. Legal provisions Federal Abortion Ban passed in 2003 outlaws’ abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy that doctors say are safe and the best to protect women’s health. This abortion ban forebodes doctors from providing their patient with the care they believe is safest and best, and restricts women’s access to abortion. The ban dangerously interferes with the doctor-patient relationship, and is unconstitutional. As it does not include protections for women’s health major medical groups, including American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Nurses Association and many other medical and health associations, like Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care advocates, oppose the federal ban. In the words of Eve Gartner, PPFA Deputy Director of Litigation and Law, after hearing the Supreme Court ruling in the case Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood that “Today the court took away an important option for doctors who seek to provide the best and safest care to their patients. This ruling tells women that politicians, not doctors, will make their health care decisions for them" clearly indicates the distress in the mind of people with social conscience. (U.S Supreme Court upholds federal Ban Abortion, 2007). The Hyde Amendment, Passed by Congress in 1976, excludes abortion from the comprehensive health care services provided to low-income people by the federal government through Medicaid. With this ban, the government turns its back on women who need abortion for their health. Women with cancer, diabetes, or heart conditions, or whose pregnancies otherwise threaten their health, are denied coverage for abortions. However, the federal Medicaid program mandates abortion funding in cases of rape or incest, as well as when a pregnant woman’s life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury. The ban thus put many women’s health in jeopardy. (Public funding for abortion, 2004). Congenital abnormalities and justification for abortion: Prenatal screening and testing are now available for detecting various fetal abnormalities at the same time it is misused to have a control over the sex of offspring. With the increasing use of prenatal diagnostic technology, including Alpha-fetoprotein blood test and ultra-sound scanning, and sophisticated health care systems, doctors as well as present day parents are able to know congenital abnormalities during early stages of pregnancy. The anomalies which require special attention include such conditions as neural tube defects, cardiac anomalies, entopic pregnancy, cleft lip, growth retardation, and Down’s syndrome. Advance knowledge of impending threat to the health of a woman from her pregnancy and congenital abnormalities of the fetus are paramount in helping a doctor to decide medical termination of the pregnancy. Women generally exhibit positive attachment behaviors and find it beneficial to have the time before delivery to become knowledgeable about the condition of their child, seek appropriate care resources, and develop specific treatment plans, and to learn child’s abnormality, if any, before birth. A woman is left with two options whether to continue or to terminate the pregnancy when her unborn baby is diagnosed with fetal abnormalities. The knowledge of fetal abnormality of unborn baby causes serious physical and mental problems. “Fetal movement and direct visualization of the developing child with ultrasound contribute to feelings of attachment.” (Bourguignon et al, 1999). Professional decision making is influenced by diagnostic information, treatment options, and possibilities available with treating doctor as well as parental outlook based on family roots, philosophy, and way life. Risks, benefits and limitations of terminating a pregnancy need to be offered to the woman planning to terminate her pregnancy. Period of pregnancy need to be consider before attempting termination of pregnancy, as women develop more psychological attachment with their unborn child by the second trimester. Psychological compulsions The agonizing experience of parents who have to decide termination of pregnancy on medical grounds will leave indelible mark in their psyche, and gaining insight into the complexities of applied ethics in peri-natal medicine will be an uphill task. Women who had undergone pregnancy interruption for fetal anomalies involve in the transition from being a pregnant woman with hopes for the infant and the future to a woman dealing with a loss of innocence. Whether or not to terminate the pregnancy puts the woman in a dilemma and many personal and clinical factors influence her choice to arrive at an informed decision. Decision of terminating a wanted pregnancy because of fetal abnormality is often very difficult and agonizing and complex for both the mother and father and it has long lasting impact on the mental and physical health of the woman. Decision making can be further complex if the mother is nearing to menopausal and other health infertility problems. Termination of pregnancy is closely related to age, pregnancy and fertility history and religious beliefs. Gestational age, influence of others, degree of attachment with the unborn baby, etc can be influence the decision making process. Diagnosis of fetal abnormality in women who have undergone extensive reproductive procedure (eg, in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination) for their infertility with their cost results long lasting repercussions including mental breakdown, stress, depression, etc. “The crisis precipitated by an abnormal prenatal diagnosis can be particularly difficult in this regard because the perceived randomness of genetic abnormalities can lead to feelings of loss of control.” (Bourguignon et al, 1999). Conclusion: We should remember that knowledge alone does not lead to informed choices, and healthcare providers need to further examine how they can help empower women to make informed choices. Many developments in the medical field namely advances in fetal physiology, increase in neonatal intensive care and the survival rate of premature infants have changed debate about the ethics of abortion. The use of selective termination and the necessity of judicious decision making, based on the experience of disabled people, will help further advancement in the field of prenatal diagnosis for congenital disorder. From the social perspective counseling services should be provided for the parent of a disabled fetus and mother should have the autonomy in the decision of abortion which can be developed through expert professional relationship between medical personnel and the pregnant woman. Everyone has right to make informed decisions, free from government interference, about whether and when to become a parent and decision to terminate pregnancy should be left with doctor’s medical opinion and decision of the mother, and simultaneously health of the mother should be paramount in all counts. References Devane, D & Devane, M. (2000). Termination for fetal defects? The debate must go on. British journal of Midwifery, v. 8, p.475-479. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from http://www.internurse.com/cgibin/go.pl/library/article.cgi?uid=8091;article=BJM_8_8_475_479 U.S Supreme Court upholds federal Ban Abortion. (2007). Law Threatens Womens Health; Criminalizes Safe, Early Abortions. Federal Abortion Ban Trials. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from http://www.federalabortionban.org/press_statements/070418-supreme_court.asp Public funding for abortion. (2004). American Civil Liberties Union. Bourguignon, et al., (1999). Genetic abortion: Considerations for Patient Care. Journal of Perinat Neonat Nursing. Aspen Publishers Inc. 13(2). P. 47-58. Read More