Ethical issues in perinatal medicine: Indian perspective.

Ethics refers to. moral principles or set of moral values which determine the code of conduct as stipulated by the medical profession. The ethical decisions are based upon a system of moral values that serve the best interests of society in a humane and caring way(l). The motal values are governed by the society and they eulogize what is correct, righteous, virtuous, noble, desirable and acceptable. The physicians are both morally and legally accountable to the society. Due to tremendous advances in teclu1ology, the care of critically ill and tiny newborn babies has unfolded complex medical, social, ethical, philosophical, moral and legal issues. Apart from tremendous financial cost of neonatal intensive care to the parents and society, there is incalculable cost in terms of pain, grief, frustration and guilt with survival of a severely handicapped child(2,3).