title: Ethical implications for early pregnancy of the fetus as patient: a basic ethical concept in fetal medicine.
abstract: The viable fetus is a patient. The previable fetus, including the in vitro embryo and the near-viable fetus, is a patient solely as a function of the exercise of the woman's autonomy. Directive counseling of the pregnant woman for fetal benefit is appropriate only when the fetus is a patient and must take account of the presence and severity of anomalies, extreme prematurity and beneficence-based and autonomy-based obligations to the pregnant woman.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Chervenak
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: McCullough
mesh_terms: D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First