PPL News - Spring/Summer 2003

Presbyterians Pro-Life NEWS
Spring/Summer 2003

Some facts about late term abortion

How many abortions are performed late in pregnancy?
The Alan Guttmacher Institute reports that 1% of abortions are performed at 21 or more weeks of gestation. That is 13,300 abortions yearly.

What are the common methods of performing late term abortion?
Hysterotomy involves surgically opening the uterus and removing the baby; it is commonly called a Caesarian section and also is a method used to deliver a live baby.

Hysterectomy involves removing the uterus with the baby undelivered.

Saline injection into the amniotic sac usually kills the fetus within six to twelve hours and also acts to stimulate the onset of labor. Occasionally a burned baby is born alive. An alternative fluid is a urea solution which kills the fetus but requires additional treatment to stimulate labor.

Dilation and evacuation involves one-to-two days of dilation of the cervix. Forceps are then inserted to grasp the fetus and the teeth are opened and closed repeatedly in order to crush and dismember the fetus for easy removal. The uterus may then be scraped to ensure that all the parts, including the placenta, are removed.

D & X or "partial birth" is the most publicized method of late term abortion. Martin Haskell, M.D. described this procedure in a paper delivered to a meeting of the National Abortion Federation:

A live baby in the last half of pregnancy is intentionally turned inside the mother and is delivered feet-first so that the legs, shoulders and arms are outside the mother’s body and only the head remains in the birth canal. The abortionist then takes a pair of scissors and forces the scissors into the base of the skull....Having safely entered the skull, he spreads the scissors to enlarge the opening.... The surgeon removes the scissors and introduces a suction catheter into this hole and evacuates the skull contents and then completes delivery....

What are the common methods of early delivery of a live baby?
When terminating a pregnancy is necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother, the pregnancy can be ended either by inducing labor or by Caesarian section. These are methods of termination similar to abortion procedures with the important distinction that the mother’s life and health are preserved and the baby is allowed a chance to live.

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