Case Study: Ethical Analysis of Maternal-Fetal Conflict

Abstract

Ongoing debates on fetus status (Harris 2000) preconditioned the absence of meaningful clinical resolution of reproduction ethics cases. The case under analysis represents the ethical dilemma of maternal-fetal conflict. In the paper the dilemma is approached from the perspective of rights theory (Beauchamp and Childress 2009), principlism (Beauchamp and Childress 2009) and feminist approaches to bioethics (Dworkin 1994; Sherwin 2007). First, moral and legal obligations of a patient are discussed in the context of prenatal and reproductive ethics. Then the author addresses broader context to bring into picture other aspects such as doctor-patient relationships, family dynamics, and public health. The conclusion contains recommendations.