title: Abortion: is there a rational precept?
abstract: Recent Supreme Court rulings have augmented the potential role of the individual states in abortion regulation. As a result, largely political influences have escalated the abortion debate to the point that there is currently no identifiable center, and consensus seems impossible. The traditional concept of viability has proven an inadequate basis for extension of personal rights and protections to the fetus. Conservative interpretation of a proposed neurologic definition of human life would suggest that human life does not start until approximately 70 days post-conception. Standardization and widespread acceptance of a definition of "brain life" would potentially clarify many medical and legal questions regarding elective abortion and would parallel currently accepted medical and legal definitions of death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Beller
mesh_terms: D000029:Abortion, Legal; D033421:Beginning of Human Life; D032921:Consensus; D005260:Female; D005328:Fetal Viability; D033161:Government Regulation; D006806:Human Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D028723:Personhood; D011247:Pregnancy; D014481:United States; D026712:Value of Life