Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries
Introduction: In Islamic countries, the prenatal diagnostic procedures are planned considering legal and religious limitations. We aimed to evaluate the indications of presentation and problems related to religious and legal limitations for presentation of Muslim parents for prenatal screening of ch...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
2018-12-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Analytical Research in Clinical Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jarcm.tbzmed.ac.ir/PDF/JARCM_21007_20180507004429 |
| _version_ | 1811218528255082496 |
|---|---|
| author | Simin Taghavi Hossein Alikhah Mohammad Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari Sharareh Barband Sahar Mohammadi Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad |
| author_facet | Simin Taghavi Hossein Alikhah Mohammad Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari Sharareh Barband Sahar Mohammadi Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad |
| author_sort | Simin Taghavi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: In Islamic countries, the prenatal diagnostic procedures are planned considering legal and religious limitations. We aimed to evaluate the indications of presentation and problems related to religious and legal limitations for presentation of Muslim parents for prenatal screening of chromosomal abnormalities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on consecutive 920 pregnant women presenting for screening of congenital and chromosomal anomalies to Educational Medical Centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, between 2011 and 2015. Previously prepared questionnaire forms were utilized for collection of information from patients and their medical records. Results: In total, 153 cases had an indication for amniocentesis, and this procedure revealed that 141 fetuses (92.2%) did not have any congenital abnormalities, but 12 cases (7.8%) had some sort of abnormality, requiring pregnancy termination. These cases included 8 fetuses (5.2%) with trisomy and four (2.6%) with single gene diseases. Of 12 patients, the justifications for pregnancy termination were issued for 7 women by the provincial Legal Medicine Organization. However, the remaining 5 patients could not obtain legal justifications for termination of their pregnancies, mostly because of late presentation, obligating them to choose illegal methods for pregnancy termination. Conclusion: Regarding the legal and religious limitation of pregnancy termination after 18th week in Islamic countries, it is highly recommended that the first trimester screening programs be performed in Islamic countries in order to obtain early decision-making. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:11:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2068c77eaab74bc9982e85c666a779f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2345-4970 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:11:19Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Tabriz University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Analytical Research in Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-2068c77eaab74bc9982e85c666a779f92022-12-22T03:42:37ZengTabriz University of Medical SciencesJournal of Analytical Research in Clinical Medicine2345-49702018-12-016415816410.15171/jarcm.2018.026JARCM_21007_20180507004429Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countriesSimin Taghavi0Hossein Alikhah1Mohammad Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari2Sharareh Barband3Sahar Mohammadi4Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad5Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranDepartment of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranMedical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranStudents Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranDepartment of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranStudents Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranIntroduction: In Islamic countries, the prenatal diagnostic procedures are planned considering legal and religious limitations. We aimed to evaluate the indications of presentation and problems related to religious and legal limitations for presentation of Muslim parents for prenatal screening of chromosomal abnormalities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on consecutive 920 pregnant women presenting for screening of congenital and chromosomal anomalies to Educational Medical Centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, between 2011 and 2015. Previously prepared questionnaire forms were utilized for collection of information from patients and their medical records. Results: In total, 153 cases had an indication for amniocentesis, and this procedure revealed that 141 fetuses (92.2%) did not have any congenital abnormalities, but 12 cases (7.8%) had some sort of abnormality, requiring pregnancy termination. These cases included 8 fetuses (5.2%) with trisomy and four (2.6%) with single gene diseases. Of 12 patients, the justifications for pregnancy termination were issued for 7 women by the provincial Legal Medicine Organization. However, the remaining 5 patients could not obtain legal justifications for termination of their pregnancies, mostly because of late presentation, obligating them to choose illegal methods for pregnancy termination. Conclusion: Regarding the legal and religious limitation of pregnancy termination after 18th week in Islamic countries, it is highly recommended that the first trimester screening programs be performed in Islamic countries in order to obtain early decision-making.https://jarcm.tbzmed.ac.ir/PDF/JARCM_21007_20180507004429Pregnancy TerminationIslamAbortion |
| spellingShingle | Simin Taghavi Hossein Alikhah Mohammad Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari Sharareh Barband Sahar Mohammadi Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries Journal of Analytical Research in Clinical Medicine Pregnancy Termination Islam Abortion |
| title | Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries |
| title_full | Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries |
| title_fullStr | Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries |
| title_short | Late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities: A barrier to legal and safe abortions in Muslim majority countries |
| title_sort | late presentation of pregnant women with chromosomal abnormalities a barrier to legal and safe abortions in muslim majority countries |
| topic | Pregnancy Termination Islam Abortion |
| url | https://jarcm.tbzmed.ac.ir/PDF/JARCM_21007_20180507004429 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simintaghavi latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries AT hosseinalikhah latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries AT mohammadmirzaaghazadehattari latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries AT shararehbarband latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries AT saharmohammadi latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries AT mohammadnaghavibehzad latepresentationofpregnantwomenwithchromosomalabnormalitiesabarriertolegalandsafeabortionsinmuslimmajoritycountries |