Foetal pain study findings challenged
I might have missed it, but I have not seen the follow-up story in your paper.
The editor of the AMA Journal, Dr Catherine De Angelis, has stated she was unaware that the lead author of the study is a former attorney for the abortion advocacy group, NARAL, and that another author is the medical director of the abortion centre at San Francisco General Hospital. She acknowledged that this revelation could hurt the credibility of the publication.
Experts in foetal pain dispute the study’s findings. Neurologist Dr Paul Ranalli of the University of Toronto says the 20-week-old in the womb may feel more pain than an adult does.
He adds that the pain impulse connections in the spinal cord link up and reach the thalamus (the brain’s receptive centre) at seven to 20 weeks.
There is a foetal pain bill before the US Congress at the moment. More than likely this is the impetus for the AMA printing such a biased report.
The proposed US legislation would require doctors to give foetal pain information to women seeking abortions when foetuses are at least 20-weeks-old and to offer women foetal anaesthesia at that stage. Passage of this bill would not benefit the abortion industry.
Loretta O’Connor
54 Halldene Grove
Bishopstown
Cork
