Citation

Humphries SV. Cent. Afr. J. Med. 1978; 24(4): 77-79.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Central African Journal of Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

657265

Abstract

Medical professionals need to revaluate current ethical standards which permit the killing of a normal fetus but require the use of heroic efforts to save the life of a severely deformed or mentally handicapped child once that child is born. The ethical issues involved in both abortion and infanticide are similar. Direct objections to both of these practices refer to the person killed and indirect objections refer to the side effects experienced by the family and society. Direct objections are irrelevant in abortion since the fetus is not aware that it is being killed and are also irrelevant in infanticide until the child is old enough to become aware of death. Indirect objections to abortion include: 1) guilt experienced by the mother and the abortion provider; 2) decline in maternal feeling in the society as a whole; and 3) the use of medical personnel and facilitates to provide unnecessary services. Advantages associated with abortion are that it: 1) reduces the number of unwanted children; 2) reduces the number of abnormal children; and 3) provides a safe and inexpensive form of contraception. Indirect objects to to infanticide are similar to those noted for abortion. The advantage of infanticide is that it avoids the on-going distress of parents who must live with and support a severe handicapped child.

Language: en