Late termination of pregnancy (
TOP), also known as
postviability abortion,
ITOP, or simply
abortion are terminations of
pregnancy which are performed during a later stage of pregnancy. Late termination of pregnancy is
more controversial than abortion in general because it results in the demise of a
fetus that is more developed and sometimes
able to survive independently. Given the complex, gradual nature of
human fetal development, the definition of "late" in this context is not precise, and different medical publications have discussed the varying
gestational age points that can be involved.