American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Jan 1996
ReviewEthically justified clinically comprehensive guidelines for the management of the depressed pregnant patient.
This article proposes ethically justified clinical guidelines for managing depressed patients during pregnancy. ⋯ When the fetus is previable, recommendations concerning the disposition and prenatal diagnosis of the pregnancy should be nondirective, whereas strong treatment recommendations are justifiable if the pregnant woman has decided to continue her pregnancy and is severely depressed. After viability, directive counseling for fetal benefit is ethically justified. The guidelines focus on preventive ethics strategies to enhance the decision-making capacity of the depressed pregnant patient.