Brodner R A, Shuster E
Institutional Ethics Committee, Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pa.
Fetal Ther. 1987;2(1):57-64. doi: 10.1159/000263279.
Recent advances in antenatal diagnosis have stimulated interest in the development of techniques for in utero treatment of fetal abnormalities. This article identifies and discusses the ethical and legal problems which emerge from fetal therapy. Is a fetus a patient? Does the fetus have rights? Who should give consent for the unborn? Does the fetus have redress if it is injured? Could a pregnant woman be forced to undergo treatment which could endanger her life and health for the benefit of the fetus? Answers to these questions are not clear and create in themselves additional queries. Until fetal therapy becomes an accepted medical practice, the resolution of the ethical and legal issues that it provokes will probably remain inconclusive and a matter of concern.
产前诊断的最新进展激发了人们对子宫内治疗胎儿异常技术发展的兴趣。本文识别并讨论了胎儿治疗中出现的伦理和法律问题。胎儿是病人吗？胎儿有权利吗？谁应该为未出生的胎儿给予同意？如果胎儿受到伤害，它有补救的权利吗？为了胎儿的利益，孕妇会被迫接受可能危及她生命和健康的治疗吗？这些问题的答案并不明确，而且本身又引发了更多疑问。在胎儿治疗成为一种被认可的医疗实践之前，它所引发的伦理和法律问题的解决可能仍无定论，且令人担忧。
