Termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies Advances in prenatal screening and diagnostic testing, alongside trends in later motherhood, mean that more women are faced with a diagnosis of fetal anomaly, generally in the second trimester of pregnancy. Many women opt for abortion in these circumstances: for example, 90% of pregnancies with a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome) will be terminated. This indicates the continuing need for the provision of Abortion for fetal anomalies.
Opponents of abortion often latch on to cases of termination for fetal anomaly, using emotive claims about how children born with particular disabilities can lead a good life. This obscures the emotional anguish and practical difficulties experienced by women who receive a diagnosis of fetal anomaly in an otherwise wanted pregnancy, and who cannot see their way to raising a child with a serious disability.
Women's reasons for terminating a pregnancy on the grounds of fetal anomaly may include the emotional and financial cost of raising a disabled child; the effect on a woman's ability to care for her existing children; and the feeling that it is cruel to have a child that will need constant medical intervention and may live in pain. The heartbreaking reasons why a small number of women may need terminations for fetal anomaly are the reasons why it is important that such terminations can continue to be provided, in as sensitive a way as possible. Women seeking abortion for fetal anomaly before 24 weeks gestation are often treated in NHS abortion services, where their only option for abortion is medical induction. Ensuring that women are offered a choice between medical induction and surgical methods of abortion is an important step in attempting to lessen the psychological difficulty of their experience.
Available options for termination When fetal anomalies are diagnosed in the second trimester, there are two options for pregnancy termination. The first is medical induction of labor, typically using the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to induce uterine contractions and cause the passage of the fetus and placenta intact.
This can be a lengthy process: mifepristone is administered 48 hours before admission, and the induction can take up to 24 hours and may require further surgery to remove retained tissue. It will usually take place on a labor ward. Misoprostol alone abortion is not possible in this case.
The second option is surgical abortion, which involves instrumental removal of the fetus and placenta in small pieces through an artificially dilated cervix, under appropriate anesthesia, typically taking 10-15 minutes. This is done as an outpatient procedure ('day surgery'), and does not usually require admission to hospital. In most cases, you will have a choice between medical or surgical abortion procedures during the first trimester. Medical abortions are only available up through nine weeks gestation. Medical abortion is safe and effective up to 9 weeks of the pregnancy. Moreover, they can be done at home in the privacy. Abortion clinic 28 weeks are for those who are 20 weeks pregnant and surgical abortion is the best option for them. According to the research, it is proved that abortion does not affect the fertility of a concern person as the ovulation process remain continue within the body. Therefore, it implies that women can get pregnant without any side effect after abortion. However, illegal abortions or abortion in the later stage can develop complications like shock to the bladder and intestines, which could cause long-term damage of the reproductive system. These problems, mainly arise in the case of the surgical abortion where the surgeon is unskilled and used appropriate tools for the abortion. One hour abortion pill can be taken at the clinic to terminate the pregnancy.