To abort the fetus based solely

Fatwa no. 19140 All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Last of the Prophets. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has studied the question submitted to His Honor the Grand Mufty by the General Manager of the Department of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Awkaf, Daw`ah, and Guidance in `Asir no. 23/1/724 dated 22/8/1417 A.H. Along with the information given concerning the case of the woman whose fetus has not developed a head. The case included a question about the ruling on aborting the fetus before it completes its full term based on of the mentioned findings. The question was referred to the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars no. 4754 on 29/8/1417 A.H. The Committee studied the case and reviewed the medical report, which is signed by a number of doctors, related to the mentioned pregnancy, and it reads as follows: Name: F. `A. M. A. (Part No. 21; Page No. 448)  Nationality: Saudi. Age: 28 years old. Gender: Female. File no.: (--). This patient is in the seventh month of her pregnancy. She has three living daughters, the youngest of whom is two years old. The expected term for her delivery is 5/10/1417 A.H. All of her lab examinations are sound. There is no other disease accompanying her pregnancy. When she visited the out-patient clinic for the first time to investigate her pregnancy on 7/7/1417 A.H., the fetus was diagnosed through ultrasound and regular rays. These tests showed the fetus had no head but was still alive. It is medically known in such cases that the fetus either dies inside the womb, or dies directly after birth because the growth of the brain will not be complete. Nevertheless, the mother's life is not endangered because of pregnancy until delivery. The mother's status remains stable and there are no current or expected complications if the fetus remains alive inside the womb until delivery.