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The court was considering a petition filed by a couple from Idukki seeking medical termination of a 33-week pregnancy after doctors diagnosed the foetus with skeletal dysplasia. Kochi : The high court has permitted a couple expecting a baby diagnosed with skeletal dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of bones, joints and cartilage, to hand over the newborn to the child welfare committee after birth. In view of the medical report, the petitioners informed the court that they did not wish to proceed with the termination of pregnancy at present. However, they sought permission to hand over the baby to child welfare services after delivery, a course of action also recommended by the medical board. Taking note of the petitioners’ decision not to retain the baby after delivery in view of the diagnosed abnormality, the bench of Justice Harisankar V Menon permitted them to hand over the newborn to the child welfare committee, if they so wished.
However, a medical board report submitted in compliance with an earlier directive of the court stated that there was no need to terminate the pregnancy, considering the nature of the abnormality identified in the foetus.