LifeZine No. 524: 18th Sep 07
Kathy Sinnott MEP on Down’s Syndrome and Abortion
Recently, Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott wrote of her experiences and views on abortion and Down’s Syndrome. “Henry has Downs syndrome and an innocence that even his teenage sulks have not diminished. Henry is very capable. Henry is not a tragedy. Like the rest of us, Henry is a person with his own unique set of characteristics. Yet all over the world, babies with Henry’s characteristic of Downs syndrome are hunted down before and even after birth and killed.” She added, “with readily and in some cases aggressively available amniocentesis and ‘back up abortion’, few Down’s babies make it past the post”. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Identifying and Supporting Families in Crisis is ‘Key to Helping Troubled Children’
Families need support from a variety of sources in the community, said Dr Pat Dolan of the Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway, which was opened recently by President Mary McAleese. “Whether or not our economic Celtic Tiger continues may be of questionable relevance to the many families currently lacking support and living in poor conditions or in disadvantaged communities”, she argued. The need to ensure families have ongoing support from natural and other sources is vital, and methods for regular "check-ins" with parents and children should be developed. Providing better proven prevention services to support families can enable them to have happier and healthier children, lessen the need for secure care and demonstrate that children are protected and listened to. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Women Put Under Pressure to Have Abortions
In the UK the Welsh assembly has proposed guidelines to ensure that women living in Wales get faster access to abortion. Under these proposals women would be able to have an abortion within a week of asking. The proposals, which include removing the practice of having two doctors consent to an abortion, are supposed to reduce "negative psychological outcomes" associated with abortions. However, a pro-life spokesman said, "Easier access to abortion places women under psychological pressure to have abortions, leaving them even more vulnerable. Pregnant women are often put under intense pressure and abortion can seem to be the only option.“ Experienced pregnancy counsellors report that many women and girls are making decisions to have abortions with little or no information about the development of their baby and the physical and psychological risks of abortion to themselves. icWales. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Sweden Cuts Aid to Countries that Oppose its Pro-Abortion Stance
Sweden announced recently that it would sever aid to several countries that oppose its pro-abortion policy, including Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Peru. Although the government of Sweden did not publicly attribute the decision to the abortion policies of the Latin American nations, the Nicaraguan newspaper “La Prensa” quoted anonymous sources who stated that the Swedish leadership, "was very concerned about the issue of therapeutic abortion.” Two representatives in the Nicaraguan Congress, Alba Placios and Wilfredo Navarro, accused the Swedish ambassador, Eva Zetterberg, of trying to use Sweden's foreign aid programme to force abortion on the country. "Zetterberg is an open sponsor of abortion in Nicaragua", said Navarro. LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
EU Committee Recommends Omega 3 Consumption During Pregnancy
A European Union committee has recommended that pregnant women should consume more docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a type of omega-3. DHA is found primarily in cold-water oily fish. Studies have shown that unborn children benefit when their mothers include DHA in their diet. Among the benefits are higher birth weights and lower risks of premature birth, and enhanced brain and eye development. PharmiWeb/ELN. END.
Hong Kong Becomes Refuge for Chinese Women Fleeing Forced Abortions
Since Hong Kong was re-integrated into China in 1997, it has become a refuge for women from the rest of China escaping the nation's brutal one-child family planning policy that involves forced abortions and sterilizations. This policy, which forbids most people from having more than one child, does not apply to Hong Kong. Leaders of the former city-state frequently encourage residents there to have three children per family in order to sustain its population. But for pregnant women fleeing the persecution they face in mainland China, Hong Kong is a safe haven. According to a “Los Angeles Times” report, the number of such children born there has increased from a few hundred annually in the 1990s to more than 20,000 in 2006. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....