WEDNESDAYAugust 30, 2000 volume 11, no. 155
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NEWS for Wednesday, August 30, 2000 LONDON, Aug. 29 (CWNews.com)
British doctors meeting to
discuss "fetal awareness" have admitted that thousands of
unborn children may be suffering pain during abortions.
Professor Vivette Glover, of London, is calling for all
abortions between 17 and 24 weeks to be performed under
anesthetic. At present, some abortions during the period of
13 to 24 weeks are carried out without anesthesia.
Glover, of Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, who is
to chair a conference on the issue at the Royal Institution
in November, told The Daily Telegraph that many questions
remained about when the unborn child became sentient.
"It is incredibly unlikely that the fetus could feel
anything before 13 weeks because there is no linking to the
brain at all," she said. "After 26 weeks it is quite
probable. But between 17 and 26 it is increasingly possible
that it starts to feel something and that abortions done in
that period ought to use anesthesia."
Glover admitted that she is "pro-choice" but said she
wanted to "do it in the most pain-free way."
Dr. Gillian Penney, of the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and
chairman of the Royal College's induced abortion guideline
group, said: "The fetus would not be capable of
experiencing what we would perceive as pain."
Professor Peter Hepper, of the fetal behavior research
center at Queen's University, Belfast, said there was not
enough evidence to say that the unborn child experienced
pain before 26 weeks, but he believed it was "better to be
safe than sorry."
However, the Women and Children's Welfare Fund charity said
that the unborn child is less well protected from pain in
Britain than animals. While there is no legislation to
protect the unborn child, the Animal Act of 1986 for
"pre-born vertebrate animals" such as rats, guinea pigs,
and hedgehogs ensures that they are not subjected to undue
suffering.
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