Babies Born Alive After Abortion: A Humanitarian Crisis Demands Answers

17.09.2025

Recent figures released by the HSE in response to a parliamentary question from Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn have revealed that 12 babies were born alive following abortion procedures in Irish hospitals in 2022, only to die shortly afterwards. Similar data from 2020 recorded 10 such cases, and it is likely that comparable numbers exist for other years not yet disclosed. These figures are drawn from reports by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC).

What’s most disturbing is the gestational age of these babies—some reaching 28 to 31 weeks, well into the third trimester. The lack of clarity around what medical care, if any, is provided to these children once born alive raises deeply troubling ethical and humanitarian concerns.

This is not just a medical issue—it is a moral reckoning. When society removes the most basic human rights from its youngest and most vulnerable members, we risk descending into a culture where compassion is conditional and dignity is denied. These babies, born alive and left without clear standards of care, are a stark reminder of what happens when human rights are removed from preborn children.

We join the call for greater transparency, accountability, and urgent public scrutiny. The treatment of these children must be brought into the light—not buried in media silence. Ireland must confront the reality of late-term abortion and the consequences it has for our shared humanity.