The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill 2007-8
Briefings from the Christian Medical Fellowship
Background
Since 1990, 24 weeks of pregnancy is the upper limit at which abortions can legally be performed on grounds of risk to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman and risk to the physical or mental health of any existing children she has. 98% of the 200,000 or so annual abortions in the UK are performed on these grounds. Reduction of this limit is urgently necessary and is in line with public opinion.
It is wrong to take innocent human life at any stage, and support for reducing upper limits does not mean acceptance of earlier abortion, but the following reasons explain changing professional and public perceptions of the humanity of the foetus:
4D ultrasound pictures have shown the baby 'walking in the womb'. These images have engaged with the public's intuitions that late abortion is wrong.
Improved neonatal survival. Many more babies born at 24 weeks or a little less now survive. A foetus at 23 weeks and 6 days can legally be aborted for what are in reality social reasons, while in the same hospital, health professionals strive to save a baby born pre-term at the same gestation. The difference is that one baby is not 'wanted' while the other is.
Foetal viability is changing. Although mortality and morbidity remain relatively high, in the best resourced units survival has improved steadily year-on-year for extremely preterm infants born at 24 weeks' gestation or less. The government relies on old studies for survival and outcome data, but by their very nature, such long-term studies represent the outcome following a now outdated standard of care – EPICure, for example, tells us about infants born in 1995.
Foetal awareness. There is also mounting medical evidence (ignored recently by a Commons inquiry) that the foetus may be aware of pain at less than 24 weeks and this adds to the abhorrence a growing number feel about late abortion. At the very least, society should give the foetus the benefit of any doubt.
Parliamentary, public and professional opinion favours reduction:
- 63% of MPs support a reduction in the 24-week upper age limit (2005)
- Nearly two-thirds of the public want the 24-week limit reduced (2005)
- More than three-quarters of women support a reduction (2005)
- 65% of GPs would welcome a reduction (2007)
CMF policy
While the pro-choice movement wants to retain or even increase the upper age limit, CMF advocates an immediate substantial reduction.
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