Doctors Are Warned on Fetus Care, Wash Post 4/23

[rumpel]

Guidelines Are Issued on Born-Alive Infants Protection Act
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 23, 2005; Page A07


The Bush administration issued guidelines yesterday advising physicians and hospitals that under a 2002 law they are obligated to care for fetuses "born alive" naturally or in the process of an abortion, and medical providers could face penalties for withholding treatment.

The law, signed by President Bush nearly three years ago, conferred legal rights on fetuses "at any stage of development." It specifies that a fetus that is breathing, has a beating heart, a pulsating umbilical cord or muscle movement should be considered alive and entitled to protection under federal emergency medical laws and child abuse statutes.

snip

In a telephone briefing with reporters, Smith refused to elaborate on the definition of "alive" or to describe specific cases in which doctors would be legally required to treat a "baby," in his words.

snip

"I don't see this as a big issue; physicians are going to do what's appropriate," said Grimes, who now practices in North Carolina. "It's all rhetoric from persons with political views they want to advance."

He said the act's definition of alive is "silly," given that it implies a fetus miscarried at 14 or 16 weeks "with no chance of survival" would be legally identified as a living person. Most medical experts agree that a fetus delivered before 23 weeks has little chance of survival, he said.


full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10411-2005Apr22.html

[zbdent]

1. So, when are the arrests of women who had miscarriages naturally

for "homicide" or "child endangerment" going to commence?

Hmmm . . .

[rumpel]

3. yes, are they going to lock up the doctors, who won't keep the fetus alive

for 10 years?

"As a matter of law and policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will investigate all circumstances where individuals and entities are reported to be withholding medical care from an infant born alive in potential violation of federal statutes for which we are responsible," Leavitt said in yesterday's press release.

[ima_sinnic]

4. better yet, when are the dumbasses going to charge god hisself

with murder for miscarriages and spontaneous abortions?

[MountainLaurel]

11. A very relevant point

Because the law defines a miscarriage as a live birth followed by an infant death. From the end of the article:

The most significant impact of the 2002 law, Grimes said, was a record-keeping change. Previously, a miscarriage before viability was classified as a spontaneous abortion. Under the new provision, it is recorded as a live birth followed by a neonatal death, and parents can claim the child as a tax deduction for that year, he said.

What's to stop people who have a heavy period from claiming a tax deduction, considering that the mass majority of miscarriages happen within the first three months, and at home? Wow -- what a way to get a tax break: Get the sole bennie of parenthoold with none of the fuss of actually caring for an infant.

[Blue Topaz]

14. That shit is crazy

I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks. It was confirmed via ultrasound that the fetus (embryo, really) had stopped growing at around 8 weeks. But this law would still maintain that 4 weeks after the heart stopped beating, my "child" lived, ever so briefly, after leaving my body?

There appears to be no limit to the craziness these people will come up with.

[Vickers]

2. The Handmaid's Tale gets its start

:(

[rumpel]

5. "HHS officials distributed news of its decision to advocacy groups before

the media briefing."

figures

[noamnety]

6. And who's going to pay for that care?

I'm guessing not Bush.

[bperci108]

7. Ironic, or more accurately hypocrisy...

But Didn't Smirky the Chimp sign a "futile care law" in Texas while he was govenor?

What an ass.... :wtf:

[sandnsea]

9. yes

So now I suppose we're going to be hooking all fetuses up to machines; but once you're past newborn age, get a job!

[gratuitous]

8. The act's definition of alive IS "silly"

But it's the law. Dr. Grimes should be real careful that some beady-eyed nurse or assistant in his surgery doesn't decide that he did everything he could to protect that "life." If ob/gyns think that "frivolous" civil lawsuits are tough to face, wait until they're in the dock liable for criminal sanctions because some fanatic in his operating room testifies that he killed a baby.

And as someone else pointed out, we can look forward to the day (and it's coming soon) when a family will have to bear the pain of a miscarriage and a criminal investigation wherein fanatical "experts" testify that, yes, had the woman dragged herself to a phone and summoned 911 help immediately, and all other circumstances being most favorable, the fetus ejected by her body would have lived. But she killed it, for whatever selfish reasons she might have had . . .

[bvar22]

10. Sign of "The Dark Ages".

When Politicians and Theocrats claim dominion over doctors and scientists.

[The Flaming Red Head]

12. And I couldn't even get foodstamps when I was pregnant

Right wing fuckers

[Richard Steele]

13. So their new idea is "PRE-insert the tube?"

Typical bullshit from these criminal asswipes.