When Religious Ethics Conflict with Medical Standards of Miscarriage Management

Catholic-owned hospitals (which represent 15% of U.S. hospital beds) allow termination of pregnancy only for “life-threatening pathology” in mothers. In addition to preventing elective abortion, this code also might interfere with medical management of spontaneous pregnancy loss. Generally, when spontaneous pregnancy loss is inevitable or continuation threatens a woman’s life or health, uterine evacuation is indicated (after an informed decision-making consultation between physician and patient), even when fetal heart tones (FHTs) are present. In Catholic hospitals, however, physicians must consult ethics committees before offering evacuation.

In 2006, investigators interviewed 30 OB/GYNs throughout the U.S. about the effects of their reside…