A suicidal pregnant patient's request for premature Cesarean section: Clinical and ethical challenges

Abstract

We present the case of a 36-year-old lady with severe borderline personality disorder and depression, who made repeated requests for an immediate Cesarean section at 31 weeks of gestation. Her mood was extremely depressed and she had intense suicidal thoughts. She was worried that she would kill herself and the baby, therefore believing that early delivery would save the baby's life. This was a challenging case that required multidisciplinary collaboration, suicide risk assessment and detailed evaluation of mental capacity. The clinical and ethical dilemmas of this case are discussed by a team of psychiatrists, obstetricians and neonatologists.