Biomaterial Database

Pregnancy in a severely mentally handicapped adult. 1989

J O'Hara

St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

What happens when we discover that a severely mentally handicapped girl, resident under our care, is heavily pregnant? What options are open to us in her management? What are the legal and ethical issues involved? How do we ensure that she receives the best possible care and protection and will the involvement of the police actually make the situation worse? Few of us have had the experience of working through such dilemmas, and little help can be found in consulting 'experts' who are awaiting the result of 'test cases' in the High Courts. This article highlights some of the problems we encountered with such a case.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008607	Intellectual Disability	Subnormal intellectual functioning which originates during the developmental period. This has multiple potential etiologies, including genetic defects and perinatal insults. Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are commonly used to determine whether an individual has an intellectual disability. IQ scores between 70 and 79 are in the borderline range. Scores below 67 are in the disabled range. (from Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, p28)	Disability, Intellectual,Idiocy,Mental Retardation,Retardation, Mental,Deficiency, Mental,Intellectual Development Disorder,Mental Deficiency,Mental Retardation, Psychosocial,Deficiencies, Mental,Development Disorder, Intellectual,Development Disorders, Intellectual,Disabilities, Intellectual,Disorder, Intellectual Development,Disorders, Intellectual Development,Intellectual Development Disorders,Intellectual Disabilities,Mental Deficiencies,Mental Retardations, Psychosocial,Psychosocial Mental Retardation,Psychosocial Mental Retardations,Retardation, Psychosocial Mental,Retardations, Psychosocial Mental
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248	Pregnancy Complications	Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.	Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000028	Abortion, Induced	Intentional removal of a fetus from the uterus by any of a number of techniques. (POPLINE, 1978)	Embryotomy,Abortion (Induced),Abortion Failure,Abortion History,Abortion Rate,Abortion Technics,Abortion Techniques,Abortion, Drug-Induced,Abortion, Rivanol,Abortion, Saline-Solution,Abortion, Soap-Solution,Anti-Abortion Groups,Fertility Control, Postconception,Induced Abortion,Previous Abortion,Abortion Failures,Abortion Histories,Abortion Rates,Abortion Technic,Abortion Technique,Abortion, Drug Induced,Abortion, Previous,Abortion, Saline Solution,Abortion, Soap Solution,Abortions (Induced),Abortions, Drug-Induced,Abortions, Induced,Abortions, Previous,Abortions, Rivanol,Abortions, Saline-Solution,Abortions, Soap-Solution,Anti Abortion Groups,Anti-Abortion Group,Drug-Induced Abortion,Drug-Induced Abortions,Embryotomies,Failure, Abortion,Failures, Abortion,Group, Anti-Abortion,Groups, Anti-Abortion,Histories, Abortion,History, Abortion,Induced Abortions,Postconception Fertility Control,Previous Abortions,Rate, Abortion,Rates, Abortion,Rivanol Abortion,Rivanol Abortions,Saline-Solution Abortion,Saline-Solution Abortions,Soap-Solution Abortion,Soap-Solution Abortions,Technic, Abortion,Technics, Abortion,Technique, Abortion,Techniques, Abortion
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D037841	Pregnant Women	Human females who are pregnant, as cultural, psychological, or sociological entities.	Women, Pregnant,Pregnant Woman,Woman, Pregnant