title: [Late interruption of pregnancy due to foetal disease: is an inductive method for the generation of ethical principles applicable?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current study investigates if an inductive method for the generation of ethical principles can be applied to the crucial moral question if late interruption of pregnancy due to fetal disease is ethically adequate.
  
  
  METHODS
  This method originates from the US American philosopher John Rawls and puts a group of so-called competent moral investigators in the beginning of the decision process. These competent moral investigators should be objective, tolerant and sensitive. Thus, real cases which lead to an intuitive, unanimous and clear decision of the competent moral investigators are analysed for the underlying ethical principles. The ethical principles thus detected are then applied to more complicated cases which could not be assessed clearly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the current study, the case of foetal trisomy 18 and foetal palate cleft could be clearly judged with a yes and a no, respectively, with regard to an approval of late interruption of pregnancy. The underlying ethical principle leading to these decisions is the utilitaristic principle of minimising harm for mother and fetus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We then tried to apply this principle to a case of foetal trisomy 21, however, no clear decision for an approval or a disapproval of the interruption of pregnancy could be found as it was not possible to assess foetal interests.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Frauenklinik, Würzburg, Germany. Engel_J@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hönig
authors.forename: S F M
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Häusler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rehn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dietl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djakovic
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000941:ethics*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000941:ethics*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011247:Pregnancy