As the ProLife Doc, an obstetrician with over two decades of experience, I’ve seen firsthand the miracle of life unfolding from the very earliest stages. I’ve also seen how our medical system sometimes struggles to reconcile complex ethical obligations—not just to the women we serve, but also to the children growing within them. The truth is this: genuine medical ethics demand that we protect the preborn because they, too, are our patients.
The Preborn Child Is a Patient
Medicine is grounded in ethical principles, and one of the most foundational is non-maleficence: “First, do no harm.” This isn’t optional. It’s a core duty. When I perform an ultrasound and see a heartbeat flicker on the screen or watch a baby yawn or stretch at just 12 weeks, I’m not observing potential life; I’m caring for a life that has already begun. The fetus is not a concept. but a patient. And just like every other patient, each preborn life deserves protection.
Another key principle in medicine is beneficence, the obligation to act in a patient’s best interest. That doesn’t disappear in pregnancy. In fact, it becomes doubly important. I care for two patients: the mother and the baby. Good medicine means acting in a way that respects both. It means understanding that the fetus is not an accessory to the pregnancy but a human being with measurable growth, responsiveness to stimuli, and, yes, vulnerability.
Balancing Autonomy with Protection
Some argue that respecting a woman’s autonomy means abortion must always be an option. However, autonomy doesn’t override all other ethical duties. Doctors do not facilitate actions that harm their patients, even when asked. That’s not because we’re indifferent to autonomy. Rather, it’s because medicine requires us to weigh multiple obligations. When a pregnant woman seeks care, we respect her autonomy, but we are also bound to protect the life of the preborn child growing inside her.
It’s worth noting that in some cases, physicians may face extremely complicated situations, including threats to the mother’s life or serious fetal abnormalities. These cases require compassionate, individualized care and serious ethical reflection. But these rare and difficult situations should not be used to justify a broad disregard for fetal life. Instead, they underscore the importance of principled decision-making guided not by convenience or ideology, but by a commitment to do what is right for both patients.
A Higher Calling in Medicine
I travel the country teaching that “a patient is a person, no matter how small.” It’s more than a slogan; it’s a medical reality. And it’s one our profession needs to embrace more fully. When women understand that their preborn child is already a living being, equipped with a beating heart and a developing brain, many choose life. They’re not coerced. They’re empowered. That’s why I’ve helped build and provide resources like abortion pill reversal and educational curricula—so women and families can make informed, life-affirming decisions.
Medical ethics are not abstract. They’re lived out in every exam room, every ultrasound, and every difficult conversation. And if we truly believe in doing no harm, then we must extend our care and protection to the smallest, most vulnerable among us. Every preborn person deserves to be seen. They deserve to be heard. And most of all, they deserve to be defended by those of us who vowed to protect human life in all its stages.
Join ProLife Doc in Protecting Life
If you want to learn more about the science of life in the womb or how to stand for the preborn with both truth and compassion, I invite you to explore our website at ProLifeDoc.org. There, you’ll find resources, videos, and a powerful curriculum designed to equip you to be a voice for life—rooted in science, grounded in ethics, and filled with hope.
