| The perils of the imperfect expectation of the perfect baby. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20227050 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Advances in modern medicine invite the assumption that medicine can control human biology. There is a perilous logic that leads from expectations of medicine's control over reproductive biology to the expectation of having a perfect baby. This article proposes that obstetricians should take a preventive ethics approach to the care of pregnant women with expectations for a perfect baby. We use Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic short story, "The Birthmark," to illustrate the perils of the logic of control and perfection through science and then identify possible contemporary sources of the expectation of the perfect baby. We propose that the informed consent process should be used as a preventive ethics tool throughout the course of pregnancy to educate pregnant women about the inherent errors of human reproduction, the highly variable clinical outcomes of these errors, the limited capacity of medicine to detect these errors, and the even more limited capacity to correct them. |
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Authors:
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Frank A Chervenak; Laurence B McCullough; Robert L Brent |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Review Date: 2010-03-12 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Volume: 203 ISSN: 1097-6868 ISO Abbreviation: Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Publication Date: 2010 Aug |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-07-27 Completed Date: 2010-08-17 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0370476 Medline TA: Am J Obstet Gynecol Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 101.e1-5 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Copyright Information:
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Copyright (c) 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 1006510065, USA. fac2001@med.cornell.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Abortion, Spontaneous Congenital Abnormalities / diagnosis, epidemiology* Female Health Status Humans Infant, Newborn Infant, Premature Informed Consent Male Obstetrics / ethics*, standards, trends Physician's Practice Patterns / ethics Physician-Patient Relations / ethics* Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications / diagnosis, epidemiology Pregnancy Outcome Preventive Medicine / ethics*, standards Reproductive History Risk Assessment Truth Disclosure / ethics* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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