LifeZine No. 559: 18th Jan 08
Call for Ultrasound Review after Breast Cancer Debacle
A leading Irish obstetrician is calling for stricter standards in foetal ultrasounds after the recent controversy surrounding breast cancer screening in Ireland where a number of women were found to have been mis-diagnosed. Professor Fergal Malone, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin has called for improved provision of pre-natal screening for congenital defects in Ireland. He criticised the lack of a standard national obstetric ultrasound policy. He said that congenital defects in unborn babies were going undetected because of a lack of expertly-trained personnel to perform ultrasounds. ‘‘Considering what has happened with mammography and breast ultrasound, the idea of who is doing foetal ultrasounds has never been more important,” he said. A pro-life spokesman welcomed Professor Malone’s call, saying he assumed that the call was made in the context of providing optimal pre-natal and ante-natal care for mothers and their babies. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Mums are Sent Home on Same Day they Give Birth
Maternity units in Northern Ireland are discharging new mothers on the day they give birth, the Royal College of Midwives has said. Ms Breedagh Hughes, college secretary in Northern Ireland, claimed that hospitals were under-resourced and overstretched due to the rising birth rate and the lack of qualified midwives: "There are just 12 more midwives employed now than this time two years ago. Yet there are 2,000 more births." She said that if the situation continued, the safety of mothers and babies would be "compromised." Belfast Telegraph. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
UK IVF Clinics Have Intentionally Killed over One Million Embryonic Children
In response to a UK Parliamentary question, the Department of Health have released data showing that over one million embryonic children were killed in the UK in the past 14 years as “waste” embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) processes. The acquired data showed that 2,137,924 embryonic humans were created using IVF between 1991 and 2005, but about 1.2m were never used. Scientists killed the embryos who were not deemed strong enough for implantation, and froze others not considered “waste” embryos. Those that survived the freezing process will be killed after ten years if not implanted. So-called ”surplus” embryos are created because women respond differently to fertility drugs. As many as 40 embryos are created in some treatments. The embryos are then assessed for viability, with only about 20% usually considered strong enough to implant successfully in a woman. Lord Alton of Liverpool, an independent peer noted for his stance against abortion, tabled the question in the House of Lords and obtained the statistics from the Department of Health. He said that embryos were being created and destroyed at "an incredible rate," and advocates embryonic adoption for those embryos that are not used for implantation in IVF. LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Surrogate Mum Refuses To Abort Triplet
A British surrogate mother is refusing to abort one of the triplets she is carrying, although it means her health may be at risk. Miss Carole Horlock, 41, who has had nine surrogate pregnancies, is carrying two girls and a boy for a Greek couple. Doctors told her that there was a 2.5% chance that there could be a problem with the pregnancy because of her age but she refused to have an abortion because the removal of one child results in a 12% risk of losing all three. She said: "It's not a risk I was prepared to take. I'm not against abortion but I think, if you intentionally start a life, then you have no right to end it." The Comet. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Italian MP Files Bill to Limit Late-Term Abortions After Baby Survives One
A member of the Italian parliament has filed a bill that would halt late-term abortions. This follows a case where a baby boy survived an attempted abortion. Physicians advised his mother to have an abortion after they misdiagnosed a physical deformity but the boy survived the procedure. Sandro Bondi of the Forza Italia party pointed to advances in technology that allow doctors to help more premature babies survive. He said 3-D and 4-D ultrasounds provide a spectacular look at a baby's development and prompted him to file the bill. Bondi told Italy's AGI news service, "It is a question of amending ministerial directives, a purely administrative act, to adapt the norms of Act 194 to new medical technologies." He said he hopes to "avoid the repetition of harrowing cases such as that of Florence's Careggi Hospital, where a 22-week old baby survived an attempted abortion for some days, based on a pre-natal diagnosis which turned out to have been mistaken." "Today a very premature baby has much higher chances of surviving, and one should not fail to take this into account, just as one cannot afford to ignore the trend towards eugenics, which seems to be sneaking in through the loopholes in this law", he added. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pope Denounces Abortion Campaigns in Africa
Pope Benedict XVI denounced international agencies that promote abortion on the African continent, and encouraged the bishops of Kenya to defend life in all its phases. The Pope was speaking at an audience for prelates of the episcopal conference of Kenya who are in Rome for their five-yearly visit. "While the understanding of Christian family life finds a deep resonance in Africa," he said, "it is a matter of great concern that the globalized secular culture is exerting an increasing influence on local communities as a result of campaigns by agencies promoting abortion". "This direct destruction of an innocent human life can never be justified, however difficult the circumstances that may lead some to consider taking such a grave step". The Pontiff added, "When you preach the Gospel of Life, remind your people that the right to life of every innocent human being, born or unborn, is absolute and applies equally to all people with no exception whatsoever." Benedict XVI also urged that "the Catholic community must offer support to those women who may find it difficult to accept a child, above all when they are isolated from their family and friends". Zenit. CLICK TO READ MORE.....