Our Neighbors to the North: A Canadian Perspective on Perinatal Ethics

Canada and the United States share much in common. However, when one looks beyond popular culture and language there are significant differences. Perhaps the most significant difference between our two neighboring nations is that of our health care systems. In Canada, we are bound by the Canada Health Act which mandates that every Canadian has reasonable access to all medically necessary health care resources as needed. Given the nature of our two differing health care systems and cultures, this paper will focus on prevalent issues in perinatal care and address the question, “How do issues in contemporary perinatal care vary between Canada and the US?”