ABSTRACT
What is the status of the fetus? The answer to this question might differ depending on whether the definition sought is legal, medical, or moral. Maternal-fetal conflict raises not only medical issues but legal and ethical issues as well. It is the convergence of these three areas that create such conflict for practitioners. With recent advances in medicine and technology enabling such things as fetal surgery and the expanding time frame in which a fetus might be considered viable, maternal-fetal conflicts may become even more pronounced.
