[Fetal life] [Expenses] [Survival] [Termination] [Natural Selection] [The Mother's Story] [What can we treat ?]

WHY NOT SIMPLY TERMINATE THE PREGNANCY ?

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) is, has been, and will continue to be, a very controversial issue. Moral, ethical, religious, scientific and intensely emotional arguments can be made for and against MTP.

I will not enter into this controversy....simply list the points in favor of the procedure, and those against it, in complicated pregnancies.

As I have tried to emphasize in all the other articles, fetal heart surgery as it is today, is a highly uncertain experimental intervention. No one can definitely say which kind of defect is going to be reliably corrected by this technique. Personally, I believe it is here to stay, and with time it will develop enough to be safely recommended as an option. Maybe then this article will have to be rewritten.

AS THINGS STAND TODAY, however, MTP would still be considered an alternative to fetal heart surgery - perhaps a safer, more reliable, and cheaper alternative.

This reasoning is based on the following facts:

1. There is no uncertainty involved about outcome of this particular fetus.
2. The risk of crippling complications to the fetus, or the need for later sequential surgical procedures is abolished.
3. The risks to the mother are much less, especially regarding chances for a future pregnancy.
>4. Psychologically the stress, though intense at the time, would not be spread out over a prolonged period, as would be the case with fetal intervention.
5. It could indeed be cheaper; it could save a family considerable expense, grief, and struggle.
6. It could improve the "gene pool" by slowly eliminating the potential for perpetuation of genetically determined errors in sequencing which produce disease. As we learn more of the genetic background to disease, we will face interesting choices in how to constructively use that information and power.

Against this could be stacked the fact that the particular pregnancy may be a "precious" one, attained after many years of infertility. Strong emotional or religious beliefs against MTP may be another factor.

The decision however will have to be made by both physician and parent after fully analyzing the issues. Like all similar decisions, any choice will necessarily be painful.

The ray of hope on the horizon is that maybe we are not far away from the days when genetic manipulation will be possible. This would be much safer, and more certain in abolishing birth defects of the heart...and much human sufferring and agony on the part of the parent and health-provider.

Feedback Home Fun New

Contents Awards Thanks Hearts

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page

Member of the Internet Link Exchange