Supreme Court allows 24-week pregnant woman to undergo abortion for medical reasons
The foetus was suffering from anencephaly – a condition where the baby is born without parts of brain and skull.
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed a woman from Thane who is 24 weeks pregnant to have an abortion as her foetus suffered a life threatening condition, reported The Indian Express. KEM hospital in Mumbai had submitted a radiology test report last week that said the foetus suffered from anencephaly – a condition where the baby is born without parts of brain and skull.
The Supreme Court observed that continuing with the pregnancy could endanger the mother’s life. A board of seven doctors told the top court that there was no chance of the foetus surviving outside the uterus, reported Mumbai Mirror. These seven doctors will perform the abortion, the apex court rules.
In July 2016, the Supreme Court had granted permission to a 23-year-old rape survivor to terminate her 24-week pregnancy as the foetus also suffered from anencephaly. The doctors had refused to abort because of the existing law. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy, abortion is legal in India only up to 20 weeks of pregnancy if continuing it will cause harm to the mother or the child.