Ethical implications for early pregnancy of the fetus as patient: a basic ethical concept in fetal medicine.
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.
Chervenak
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FA
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center, NY 10021, USA.
McCullough
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LB
D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First