Foetuses 'don't feel pain until the final third of pregnancy'

[emad]

Foetuses 'don't feel pain until the final third of pregnancy'
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Published: 24 August 2005

A controversial new American medical study suggested yesterday that foetuses are incapable of feeling pain until the third trimester of pregnancy, a finding that immediately threw fuel on to the fire of America's perennial debate about abortion.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California and published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association, argued that foetuses are incapable of feeling pain without the development of consciousness, which is in turn predicated on the creation of connections between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex inside the baby's brain.

These connections are not usually apparent until the 23rd week of pregnancy and may not begin to be made until the 30th week. The study had immediate implications in the political arena, because Congress is considering legislation requiring doctors to inform women seeking abortions after the 22nd week that their foetus feels pain.

About 18,000 women a year would be affected by the new law. A number of individual states have already passed, or at least drafted, similar legislation.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article307947.ece

[whatever4]

1. Can't wait to hear the right spin on this, groan nm

[SteppingRazor]

3. The right's spin is that the study is wrong...

This was posted yesterday. You can see the right's response in the story posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1722016

[whatever4]

4. Ah, of course. It's science, after all, not blessed with holy water nm

[henslee]

2. I'm no pro lifer but I'd like to hear the fetus weigh in on this one.

[Larkspur]

5. The British knew about this over 5 years ago and this is good news for

pro-choice supporters.

First, it devastates the anti-abortion arguments equating birth control with "killing babies." Those vigilante pharmacists should now all be given a choice -- dispense contraceptives or be fired.

Second, this scientific information devastates the anti-abortion argument equating early term abortion with "killing babies."

Third, it supports Roe vs Wade, which in 1973 called for unrestricted access to first term abortions, qualified medical support during 2nd term abortions, and restrictions on late term abortions.

Science is now backing up .

[dutchdoctor]

6. Controversial? I have yet to read an intelligent criticism of the study

A study is NOT controversial just because the findings make it hard to hold on to some ideologically motivated opinion.