A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Prof. Olufemi Adebari Oluwatoyin Oloyede, has called for a review of Nigeria’s abortion laws to address emerging realities in fetal medicine and better recognise the medical interests of unborn children.
Oloyede, a Professor of Fetal Medicine and Genetics at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, made the call while delivering the university’s 130th Inaugural Lecture, titled “To Live or Not to Live: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Fetal Medicine,” at the OGD Lecture Theatre, OOU Main Campus, Ogun State.
The lecture, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, examined the increasingly complex intersection of medicine, law and ethics as advances in prenatal diagnosis enable doctors to detect serious fetal abnormalities before birth.
Oloyede argued that Nigeria’s existing legal framework largely approaches abortion from the perspective of protecting the mother, without adequately addressing cases in which an unborn child is diagnosed with severe abnormalities, extreme medical conditions or poor prospects for survival.
According to him, advances in fetal medicine have made it possible to obtain detailed information about the health and development of unborn children, creating ethical questions that existing laws may not sufficiently address.
“The abortion law says you can only do that in the interest of the mother, never in the interest of the fetus. We must begin to factor in the interest of the fetus,” Oloyede said.
He, however, stressed that any amendment or liberalisation of the law must be accompanied by strong safeguards to prevent abuse.
The fetal medicine specialist noted that serious complications can occur at different stages of fetal development, sometimes leaving medical professionals and families with difficult decisions about treatment, continuation of pregnancy and the best interests of both mother and child.
“For every child that is delivered, there have been serious issues going on within the womb,” he said.
Oloyede also cautioned expectant mothers against practices that could endanger fetal development, particularly the indiscriminate use of medication without medical supervision.
He identified unprescribed drugs, radiation and infections as some factors that could contribute to congenital abnormalities, urging pregnant women to seek professional medical advice before taking medications and to minimise exposure to potentially harmful substances.
Beyond the legal dimension, he called for greater collaboration among government, lawmakers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to address questions surrounding fetal rights and the ethical challenges arising from rapid advances in medical technology.
Oloyede’s position is informed by more than two decades of clinical and academic experience. He has been a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist since 2001 and specialises in Fetal Medicine and Genetics.
He has undertaken further training at institutions including the Fetal Medicine Foundation in London, the Jesuit Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery in Spain and Dr. Zeinali Molecular Laboratory in Iran. He also holds master’s and doctoral degrees in Genetics from the University of Lagos.
He has contributed to the introduction and advancement of several fetal medicine procedures in Nigeria, including molecular diagnosis of sickle cell disease and chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, first-trimester fetal screening, Doppler velocimetry, invasive fetal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and biochemical screening for aneuploidy and pre-eclampsia.
The inaugural lecture ultimately raised a fundamental question for modern medicine: as technology makes it possible to identify serious fetal conditions before birth, how should doctors, parents and the law respond?
For Oloyede, the answer requires a broader conversation that brings Nigeria’s laws, medical advances and ethical safeguards together while considering not only the welfare of the mother but also the medical realities and interests of the unborn child.
0 Comments