abortion.

[drivin_me_nuts]

I have a question regarding abortion that I can't seem to find an answer to.

Can a woman be 'forced'/persuaded (as in the procedure take place without her agreement) to have an abortion if the child has a very serious condition such as spina bifida.

[numtumfutunch]

of course not

[Fishtigua]

Nope. PM me if additional info is needed.

[CountZero23]

No.

[otolith]

Not that it hasn't been attempted.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/97937...

[Petrus1983]

It happens in China, thankfully not here.

[TheJimi]

It does pose an interesting moral question.

If a foetus is shown to have severe disability, is it right that the baby should be born, with the knowledge that it will never be able to life life to the full?

[HughS47]

No.

A fetal medicine specialist will be able to offer advice regarding termination for medical reasons and discuss all options with you.

[drivin_me_nuts]

Thanks for the replies.

The reason for the thread stemmed from a conversation that spanned profound disability and ultimately if medicine (in the UK) could insist if the life be terminated because of extreme risk to the mother or the abnormalities of the foetus.

Cheers,

DMN

[TVR1]

drivin_me_nuts said:

Thanks for the replies.

The reason for the thread stemmed from a conversation that spanned profound disability and ultimately if medicine (in the UK) could insist if the life be terminated because of extreme risk to the mother or the abnormalities of the foetus.

Cheers,

DMN

Thankfully it is still the case that it is entirely the choice of the parents how to proceed.

In the case of serious genetic or physical abnormalities, the parents can only be guided and not forced. A very hard choice, no doubt and not one that I would like to be faced with. There are a couple of serious genetic issues in babies that are simply incompatible with life once born but if it was me, I think/hope i'd rather give birth and allow a dignified death to a child affected and show him/her just a little love before that onward journey.

But that's just me. I'm sure others think differently.