Ethical dimensions of fetal neurology

SummaryEthics is an essential dimension of the management of counseling a pregnant woman when a neurologic anomaly is diagnosed. This paper provides an overview of obstetric ethics, with a central focus on the ethical concept of the fetus as a patient. On this basis, the authors analyze the ethical and clinical dimensions of the obstetric management options for pregnancies complicated by a neurologic anomaly. These management options include aggressive management, induced abortion, termination of pregnancy during the third trimester, non-aggressive obstetric management, and cephalocentesis.