Guidelines for the Ethical, Social and Legal Issues in Prenatal Diagnosis

MEDICINE'S ability to collect information about the fetus has increased dramatically in the last few years. A variety of technics — collectively known as prenatal diagnosis — have made it possible to learn much about a fetus's genetic and metabolic state, chromosomal constitution (including gender), bone structure and other information, and, moreover, to learn it earlier and earlier in gestation.Many of the technics yield this information at a time that makes the selective abortion of a fetus legally possible. Selective abortion is morally unacceptable to many people. This report does not discuss this question in detail. It recognizes that . . .