The Fetus as Medical Patient: Moral Dilemmas in Prenatal Diagnosis from a Catholic Perspective

by Alfred Cioffi

Overview

With an increased capacity to analyze fetal cells in the laboratory and the present possibility of monitoring human embryonic development using advanced diagnostic technique, prenatal diagnosis (PND) has become widely diffused in medical practice. The Fetus as Medical Patient emphasizes, however, that PND results are not unambiguous: they may either lead to a continuation of the pregnancy, or to an abortion. Cioffi engages the reader in a comprehensive examination of the state of the question regarding diagnosis and possible treatment of human illness in utero. The book deals with biomedical consideration in prenatal human life, presents a survey of the literature of ten North American Catholic theologians who have written on the topic of moral dilemmas in PND over the past twenty years, and critically analyzes the writings of these ten authors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780819197801
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	01/10/1995
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	6.08(w) x 9.22(h) x 0.91(d)

About the Author

Reverend Alfred Cioffi, STD is Associate Professor of Moral Theology at St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary.

Editorial Reviews

Kowledgeable readers seeking quick reference to prenatal conditions will find it useful. Those studying prenatal issues should consult this book, and it has a place in graduate and seminary libraries.

Religious Studies Review

...a cool, serious, and careful survey of the contribution to the discussion of prenatal diagnosis...

From the Publisher