Can a Baby Survive at 23 Weeks?
Wednesday 14th of November 2012 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Rosanne MouldingAfter Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt publicly spoke out about his personal views that the abortion limit should be halved from 24 weeks to 12 weeks, it begs the question, what has brought the abortion limit under fire? The answer is medical technology. When the abortion limit of 24 weeks was set in 1990, medical technology could just about keep a child alive if they were born at 26 weeks. Even in that case, it was likely that the child would grow up with a disability. Thanks to advances in medical care, the youngest ever premature baby to have survived was born at 21 weeks. In Britain, the most premature baby to have ever survived was born at 23 weeks and 2 days.
Those who agree with Jeremy Hunt argue that if a baby can survive at 23 weeks, one week less than our abortion limit, then surely abortion after 23 weeks constitutes as 'killing' a baby which was formed enough to live outside of the mother? Many anti-abortion activists believe that a baby should have rights as soon as it 'has a chance of life'. However, this is not an easy issue to resolve, or find the 'right' answer to.
Survival Chances?
Not every baby born at 23 weeks will survive. In fact, only nine out of every 100 babies born at this time will survive. Only one of those nine will be able-bodied. There have been many mothers speaking in the press recently about their experiences with a premature child who survived at 23 weeks, or on 'the edge of viability'. Alexia Pearce spoke to The Guardian about the survival of her son, Nathan, who was born at 23 weeks. She stated that every day she feels guilt for what cerebral palsy sufferer Nathan has to go through as a result of his premature birth. Alexia says that she 'has no regrets' but that people should be aware of what babies go through if they are to be kept alive at 23 weeks. When talking about Nathan's quality of life now, aged three, Alexia told The Guardian:
"He can't walk or talk. He's oxygen dependent, although hopefully that might change. He has chronic lung disease, cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. He has diabetes inspidus and his thermostat is a bit wonky so he gets hot and cold."
She also knows that Nathan still faces a premature death because of the complications of his conditions. A woman who herself was born prematurely, at 26 weeks in 1990, and is now paraplegic, stated that she feels 'abandoned' now she has turned 18 and no longer has government help or funding to live a normal life despite her disabilities. A consultant paediatrician told BBC News that "If you are willing to support someone at the beginning of life you should be willing to support them to the end."
Law and Personal Opinion
When there are so many factors to consider, it will never be easy to answer the questions surrounding life at 23 weeks and the abortion limit. The two will always be connected in people's minds. Some people argue that as medical advances continue, the 'edge of viability' will continue to decrease in terms of weeks into a pregnancy, and that our laws should reflect this. However, medical experts say that the edge of viability is never likely to be less than 23 weeks, as no advances have been made in recent years, suggesting that at some point, nature makes reducing the edge of viability impossible. In fact, in Holland, a baby who is born at 23 weeks will not be resuscitated, instead they will be left to die what many people believe is a dignified death.
In a debate which raises so many other questions, such as: 'When does a fertilised egg become a 'life'?' 'When does the predicted quality of life become so poor that a premature baby should not be saved, if ever?' 'Are we interfering with nature when we save lives so young?' 'If we save a child which goes on to have severe disabilities, shouldn't the government fund them for the rest of their lives?' And that deals with so many extenuating circumstances such as if a woman has been raped, if having a child could endanger the lives of the parents or if the parents couldn't possibly raise the child well, it is impossible to reach a definitive answer to whether a life should be saved at 23 weeks, and whether the abortion laws should be reduced to reflect this.
However, everyone is entitled to an opinion. Let us know what you think. Should our laws reflect medical technological advances? Or would reducing the abortion limit infringe woman's rights and equality?
share this page with friends and family
|
|
|
