Letter: Parliament must rule on birth ethics
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: As you report (leading article, 19 February), the foetus has no legal rights until born, so that an intervention intended to benefit the foetus is difficult to support legally against the mother's wishes.
At 36 weeks' gestation, the foetus in this case would probably not have needed any medical intervention once delivered, but if left inside a woman suffering fulminant pre-eclampsia might well have died. You compared this with parents refusing treatment for their child, when a court order to allow the treatment against the parents' wishes could be granted. It is difficult to understand the reasons for the special legal position of the foetus. Why should one patient fully capable of independent life be legally different from another? Neither can voice their opinion and we must assume that both would want to live, taking advantage of medical intervention, as most rational adults do.
Much of our law revolves around the principle that no individual's action should harm another. Just because one individual is temporally receiving nutrients and oxygen inside another should not alter this, as long as it does not endanger the mother's life.
JONATHAN ROUND
St George's Hospital Medical School
London SW17
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments