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Case Study: Fetal Abnormality

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Case Study: Fetal Abnormality
Grand Canyon University

Author Note This research was submitted by for HLT-310V Spirituality in Health Care course.

Case Study: Fetal Abnormality The moral status of a human being is defined as the characteristic in which humans are viable. The concept of human life raises the question…when is a fetus considered a human? When does a baby become “viable?” the answer to this question is; four week gestation. At four weeks the heartbeat is audible, from then on, no matter what the circumstance, that is a human life. “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) (Bible, ESV). The case study theories are based on the fact that the baby has the possibility of not being able to develop arms and has a twenty five percent chance of developing Down syndrome. The doctor believes that the moral status is up to the mother to choose due to the risks of bringing a child with disabilities into the world. From his medical perspective, he wants the mother to weigh the costs of not being able to care for and have the finances to provide for a child with special needs. The husband wanted to break the news to his wife slowly to discuss what they wanted to do. The moral status from his perspective is working together to come up with what to do as future parents. Maria, the aunt, wants to use her faith and pray for healing and miracles. Maria’s perspective of moral status is that no matter what, Jessica needs to keep this baby and work through all of the issues that may or may not arise. The mother of the child has the ultimate decision to make and it will really come down to it being her decision. She will be the one carrying the child in her womb for nine months (Lee & George, 2008). The moral status perspective I choose is and always will be pro-life regardless of the

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