Permissibility of multifetal pregnancy reduction from the shiite point of view

ABSTRACT

Background: Advancements in medical technology have significantly increased the possibility of successful infertility treatment. Medical interventions in the initial process of pregnancy that intend to increase the chances of pregnancy create the risk of multifetal pregnancies for both mothers and fetuses. Physicians attempt to reduce the numbers of fetuses in order to decrease this risk and guarantee the continuation of pregnancy. The aim of this paper is to understand the Shiite instruction in terms of the risks multifetal pregnancies have for fetuses and if it is permissible to reduce the numbers of fetuses. An affirmative answer will lead to the development of Islamic criteria for reduction of the number of embryos