February 21, 2007: Youngest surviving premature baby

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by SeanAhern

The legal line for abortions in the U.S. is "viability." English common law had it at "quickening", which is somewhere around 20-24 weeks. But Roe vs. Wade codified it at about 7 months (28 weeks), or specifically, "point at which the fetus becomes ‘viable,’ that is, potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid. Viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."

In the UK the legal limit was reduced in 1990 to 24 weeks.

In 2005 only 1.4% of all terminations in the UK occured at over 20 weeks. 67% were performed at under 10 weeks, 89% at under 13 weeks

The NHS limit in functional terms is 19 weeks. Terminations beyond this point are not undertaken by most hospitals or clinics and the overnight stay necessary may lead to waiting times. In other words it is a serious procedure that needs to be planned in advance and thought through carefully. The second scan takes place at 20 weeks and the small number of terminations at this point may be as a result of something discovered at this point.

Although the image of those little gummy feet is indeed a powerful one, I still wouldn't see a termination at that stage to be murder. I do not believe a foetus is a child. Perhaps the fact that babies can survive at 22 weeks would be better used to prompt pro-lifers into accepting the need for better access to early stage terminations.