Paper Title
ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF AMNIOCENTESIS AND THIRD TRIMESTER ABORTION WITH ITS UTILITARIAN APPROACH

Abstract
Abstract - Morality is an on- going process in the life of human beings which is concerned with beliefs and actions. In this age of globalization all human beings with their rapid developments feel insecure in every spheres of life. The problems of bio-medical issues are urgent in the present day where not only medical care is needed but also ethical decisionsis necessary for every moments of our life. The ethical issues surrounding amniocentesis mainly based on the use and effects of information given by the health care providers. Late abortion has long been accepted as an appropriate part of obstetric care for serious fetal anomalies. Recently it has been argued that late abortion for such anomalies as trisomy 13, trisomy 18 and thanatophoric dysplasia may also be appropriate. Infact, it has been suggested that a deliberate delay in genetic amniocentesis may be appropriate because of the availability of late abortion for Down’s syndrome. Thus a physician would be sympathetic to the feelings of a pregnant women with achondroplasia who presents late in pregnancy with the affected fetus that was not detected by earlier ultrasound examination. Out of sympathy for the pregnant women and long term effects of these abnormalities on the child’s life, it is understandable that an obstetrician would be moved to help either by performing late abortion or making a referral for them to obtain one elsewhere. Such sympathetic responses are consistent with the relief of suffering. Hume, a great philosopher says that sympathy is an intrinsic feature of human nature that naturally disposes us to respond primarily to the distresses of others rather than pursuing self- interest. This ethical approach to abortion is useful because it determines that an action is right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number. With abortion being a personal issue, utilitarianism is the theory which looks at the consequences of an abortion taking each situation separately. Keywords - Morality, Abortion, Amniocentesis, Sympathy, Anomalies, Utilitarianism