In Vitro Fertilization Tag

16 Sep 2016 Ontario Human Rights Tribunal rules in favour of Mt. Sinai

Refusing to perform a “fetal reduction procedure” (aborting one of two or more children in the womb) is not unlawful discrimination, according to an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision earlier this year. The Tribunal decision summarizes the facts as follows: In May 2015, the applicant was pregnant with twins following in vitro fertilization (IVF). The applicant decided that she did not want to have twins and wished to reduce the pregnancy to one fetus. Her obstetrical specialist advised her that this was a complex procedure that was not generally performed. On May 6, 2015, her treating specialist wrote to an obstetrician colleague at Mount Sinai Hospital to see if that hospital would be able to perform the procedure. The Mount Sinai physician advised that the respondent hospital would not be able to perform the procedure because the circumstances did not fit with the hospital’s policy regarding fetal reduction surgery. 1