The Supreme Court has allowed termination of a 31-week old foetus after medical report suggested that both its kidneys were dysfunctional.
The order was passed on Friday by a Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri after relying on a report of a medical team of doctors from Mumbai's JJ Hospital which examined the mother and the foetus to suggest abortion of the foetus.
The Court had constituted the Medical Board as Section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act did not allow abortion of foetus beyond 20 weeks.
The doctors in their report submitted to Court said that the foetus suffered from severe congenital problem as both its kidneys were not functioning. This condition would not be compatible with life, it added.
The Bench, also comprising Justices AM Sapre and Ashok Bhushan said, "We feel that at this stage termination of pregnancy is not going to be more hazardous than spontaneous delivery at term. Considering poor prognosis of the baby, continuing pregnancy will cause more mental anguish to the mother.”