A new report released by medical scientists suggests that babies can feel “something like pain” as early as 13 weeks gestation.
According to Faithwire, earlier studies concluded that because certain parts of a baby’s brain hadn’t yet developed, an aborted child couldn’t feel pain. Many in the medical community believe children only feel pain after 24 weeks, but this new study conducted by British professor Stuart Derbyshire, who has consulted for Planned Parenthood, and American Dr. John Bockmann indicated with “good evidence” that the brain is more developed.
“Given the evidence that the fetus might be able to experience something like pain during later abortions, it seems reasonable that the clinical team and the pregnant woman are encouraged to consider fetal analgesia [pain relief],” the researchers concluded, as reported by the Daily Mail.
They also warned that not telling women about fetal pain “flirts with a moral recklessness that we are motivated to avoid.” The statement came ten years after Derbyshire said that it’s unnecessary to warn women of fetal pain before 24 weeks because it is “sound policy based on good evidence that fetuses cannot experience pain.”
“A society that claims to take seriously animal pain should not shrink from confronting pain inflicted on young human beings in the name of ‘choice,’” said Dr. Anthony McCarthy of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children in Britain. “Making death painless for the one killed does not, however, mean that taking life is thereby justified.”
The startling discovery has prompted several members in the British parliament to reconsider abortion laws.
“Given developing views and research on fetal pain, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ guidance on this issue in relation to abortion—which is now nearly ten years old—should be reviewed,” said pro-life MP Fiona Bruce.
Cross-bench peer Lord Alton agreed: “This new evidence adds further pressure on Parliament to urgently review our current abortion time limit. We last had a proper debate on time limits in 2008.”
Across the pond, pro-life advocates took to the news quickly.
President of Live Action News, Lila Rose, tweeted: “Abortion is horrifically inhuman. It’s time to completely eradicate it.”
Photo courtesy: Pixabay/Public Domain
Mikaela Mathews is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas, TX. She was the editor of a local magazine and a contributing writer for the Galveston Daily News and Spirit Magazine. She blogs at mikaelamathews.com.
