Decision making for pregnant women and fetuses who suffer brain injuries is emotionally
difficult and conceptually challenging. Occasionally, both the pregnant woman and
the fetus have suffered an injury that confers a poor neurological prognosis, and
decisions about one of them will have implications for the other—making the process
of decision making even more problematic. In this article, decision-making standards
and principles are reviewed for both pregnant women and fetuses, using a real case
from the author's institution. Practical suggestions are made regarding deliberative
processes and consultative models that can help with these difficult cases.
KeyWords
medicalcare - ethics - end-of-life decision - decision making - advance directive
- health care proxy - pregnancy - brain injury
