(1) Centre d'éthique médicale, Université catholique de Lille, 56, rue du Port, F - 59 046 Lille, Cedex, France;(2) Centre d'éthique médicale, Université catholique de Lille, 56, rue du Port, F - 59 046 Lille, Cedex, France
Abstract:
In this paper it is argued that questions in perinatal medicine concerning treatment or non-treatment of severely handicapped children, after or before birth, cannot be answered solely by referring to the general aims and objectives of medical treatment and its specific deontology. Justifications of decisions about treatment and non-treatment need to be placed in a broader context of discussions about social justice and the social significance of medical practice as a whole.