Why Ethics in Obstetrics Is Essential

Seven real-world dilemmas that show why cultural humility and ethical reasoning are as essential in obstetrics as clinical skill.

Obstetrics—the discipline devoted to pregnancy and childbirth—is among the most ethically complex fields in medicine. Ethics, in its simplest sense, is the systematic study of what is right and wrong, and the principles that guide human conduct. In medicine, ethics refers to applying those principles—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice—t…