COURT-ORDERED OBSTETRIC INTERVENTION - A COMMENTARY

A case is presented where the Courts have authorised an obstetric inte rvention deemed necessary for the well-being of both mother and child. Although the case is one of maternal psychosis, there are legal and e thical concerns whenever court-ordered intervention is deemed necessar y. Approaches to this difficult medical decision making problem in the form of utilitarian ''burdens v benefit'' ratio analysis or the recog nised traditional ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, j ustice and acting in the patient's best interest are considered. The R oyal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines suggesting ''that it is inappropriate... to invoke judicial intervention to over rule an informed and competent woman's refusal of a proposed medical t reatment, even though her refusal might place her life and that of her fetus at risk''(1) are questioned.