From Congress to the Vatican: The Promotion of Maternal-Fetal Surgery & Perinatal Palliative Care as Alternatives to Abortion Care
As a clinician, Dr. Abigail Wilpers has cared for pregnant people and families facing their greatest fear - the loss of a normal pregnancy and the possibility of going home without a child. As a researcher, she explores how models of care, social determinants of health, and patients’ experiences connect to care quality and health outcomes.
Dr. Wilpers combines these passions and skills to drive research and action to enhance health care and health equity for people who receive a fetal diagnosis and may face significant challenges including perinatal loss, preterm birth, and raising a child with special health care needs.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal protection for abortion care, maternal-fetal surgery and perinatal palliative care have been heavily promoted as alternatives for people whose pregnancies are complicated by a severe fetal condition. These are growing and important areas of perinatal care, but they can never replace access to full-scope reproductive health care, including abortion care. Watch the February 27, 2023 recording below.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal protection for abortion care, maternal-fetal surgery and perinatal palliative care have been heavily promoted as alternatives for people whose pregnancies are complicated by a severe fetal condition. These are growing and important areas of perinatal care, but they can never replace access to full-scope reproductive health care, including abortion care. Watch the February 27, 2023 recording below.
