Ethics, maternal-fetal interventions, and the technological imperative.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2025
Identifier
DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152095
Abstract
In medicine, the technological imperative presupposes the inevitable and essential adoption of technologies for the benefit of patients and society. Recent advances in maternal-fetal interventions have followed technological advances in prenatal diagnostic imaging and genetic testing, anesthesiology, and fetal surgical capabilities. Applied here, the technological imperative raises important ethical questions regarding maternal autonomy, informed consent, and decision-making. The ethical or moral arguments for employing such technology rest with the clinician(s) who offer, use, and state that it is the correct thing to do, and who must also be cognizant of the limits of technology and the assumptions represented by other imperatives. There is a need for the education of ethicists and clinicians about the implications and limitations of the technological imperative in this field. Fetal health centers should collaborate with bioethicists at the patient, committee, and program development levels as the field continues to advance.
Journal Title
Seminars in perinatology
Volume
49
Issue
6
First Page
152095
Last Page
152095
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Informed Consent; Prenatal Diagnosis; Decision Making; Personal Autonomy; Fetal Therapies
PubMed ID
40441932
Keywords
Autonomy; Decision-making; Ethics; Fetal exceptionalism; Fetal therapies; Informed consent; Maternal-fetal interventions; Technology
Recommended Citation
Carter BS, Cummings CL. Ethics, maternal-fetal interventions, and the technological imperative. Semin Perinatol. 2025;49(6):152095. doi:10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152095
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