Feticide is the intentional destruction of a fetus, including some types of abortion and violence against pregnant women. It may be considered fetal homicide if the mother is subjected to violence resulting in miscarriage. Feticide can be used to bring justice to perpetrators of violent acts against fetuses. The term is typically reserved for morally or legally wrong acts.
Feticide is the intentional destruction of a fetus. The loss of a fetus from natural causes, such as miscarriage, is not grouped under this label, but if a mother is subjected to violence that results in a miscarriage, this may be considered feticide or, more accurately, fetal homicide. Some medical procedures, such as selective reduction in a multifetal pregnancy or some types of abortion, involve killing the fetus inside the uterus. Some areas consider abortion to be a fetish in all cases, while others do not, but in areas where the act performed on the mother is legal, no doctor can be charged with a felony for acts performed on the child. While it is appropriate to call any act that results in the death of a fetus a form of feticide, this term is typically reserved for cases where another more precise term, such as abortion, would be inappropriate.
One of the ways the concept of feticide is used is to bring to justice perpetrators of violent acts that end the potential life of a fetus. There are many cases where fetal collateral homicide, where the fetus was not the target or perhaps even known to the perpetrator, can be used to make a criminal’s punishment more aggressive. Of particular relevance is when intentionally inducing a miscarriage in a woman against her will is not only an assault against the mother, but can also be considered murder of the fetus. Even in areas that do not recognize fetal homicide, perpetrators of this type of act risk being treated harshly as the concept of fetal homicide is not governed by laws.
In some types of abortion, feticide may be necessary for the legal safety of the doctor. If the fetus is born alive, the doctor may be vulnerable to a malpractice lawsuit. As such, the fetus is usually killed inside the uterus either by an injection or by cutting the umbilical cord. After the fetus dies, it softens and becomes easier to remove. Occasionally, the killing of one or more fetuses is necessary for the survival of the rest of the embryos, but this is often a traumatic experience for the expecting parents, as all embryos are potentially viable.
Sometimes, early abortions of fetuses that have a certain quality in common are called feticides rather than abortions. For example, female feticide refers to the practice of terminating a pregnancy because a girl is not desired. Similarly, the termination of a fetus that is known to have a birth defect may also be indicated in this way, although this is generally considered more acceptable.
Anytime a fetus is terminated, no matter the cause, the act can be called feticide. However, it has a negative connotation in most cases. Because there are a variety of technical terms available for ways in which the fetus can be medically terminated, the use of this term is usually reserved for acts that are considered morally or legally wrong.
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