I carry you in my heart : facing an incurable prenatal diagnosis

Abstract

Prenatal diagnosis has given doctors the ability to predict problems before a child is even born. But what happens when the information gleaned from these tests is that the child is fatally sick? Doctors call these "futile" pregnancies. The increasing sophistication and prevalence of prenatal diagnostic tests means that prospective parents and their doctors are grappling with ethical questions unheard of just half a century ago. Legislators try to demarcate what choices are "good" and "bad". However, there is no good choice when it comes to a fatally ill infant. While archival research is used to frame modem perspectives, this thesis aims to explore the different choices women make and the difficulties they must grapple with in this day and age.