The Professional Responsibility Model of Perinatal Ethics

This book provides the first clinically comprehensive and practical approach to ethical challenges in perinatal medicine. The first chapter introduces and explains the professional responsibility model of perinatal ethics. The professional responsibility model is based on the medical ethics of two major physician-ethics in the history of Western medical ethics, Dr. John Gregory (1724-1773) of Scotland and Dr. Thomas Percival (1740-1804) of England. The professional responsibility model is used to articulate the ethical concept of the fetus as a patient and to operationalize the ethical principles of beneficence and respect for autonomy. The book provides practical guidance for clinical judgment and decision making with patients about the responsible clinical management of the wide range of issues encountered by perinatologists in clinical practice and research. Topics included: periviability; feticide; intrapartum management; maternal-fetal conflict; innovation for fetal benefit; research for fetal benefit; non-aggressive obstetric management; managing the transition from pregnancy to birth; destructive procedures such as cephalocentesis; critical care for the pregnant patient; home birth; patient-choice cesarean delivery; neonatal care as a trial of management; and setting limits on neonatal care on the basis of clinical judgments of futility.