Doctors perform first 'selective’ abortion

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 9

Doctors perform first 'selective’ abortion

NZPA Lund (Sweden)' Two doctors have per-' formed the world’s first sue-i cessful “selective” abortion ] on a woman bearing twins, i the Swedish domestic news ( agency has reported. One of the foetuses was aborted after it was discovered to be ill, leaving the healthy twin undisturbed, the agency said.

The two doctors at the Academic Hospital, Anders Aberg and Felix Mitelman, were quoted by the agency as saying that ultra-sound technique enabled them to perform the selective abortion in the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy without any harm to either the twin foetus or the mother, who recently delivered a healthy child.

Dr Aberg and Dr Miteliman would present the (unique operation, previously

thought impossible, in inter- ! national medical bulletins 'soon, the report said. At (previous forced abortions on (twins the healthy foetus had to be sacrificed. The illness of one foetus I was detected through tests of the amniotic fluid. Using the ultra-sound equipment, the doctors were able to pinpoint exactly the positions of placenta and foetuses and be sure to get amniotic fluid tests from both foetuses, Dr Aberg told the agency. “Cases requiring selective abortion are very rare, but now they are possible without sacrificing a healthy foetus,” he said. “The sick foetus in this case suffered from Hurles synbdrome, a rare metablic disorder where an enzyme is missing.” Abortion on the ground of the ill health of the foetus is not permitted in New Zeailand.