I Don't Feel Your Pain - AMA Fudges on First Do No Harm
"Study
Finds 29 Week Old Fetuses Probably Feel No Pain" from the NY Times,
says a report to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
states that fetuses up to six months do not feel pain and therefore do not need
anesthesia during abortions. The report, based on hundreds of papers, says that
the fetus' brain is not developed enough to feel pain before 29 weeks. This
is to rebut new federal and state laws that would compel doctors to inform women
seeking abortions that their fetus could be in pain due to the procedur e and
that they need anesthesia at 20 weeks during the procedure. Of the 1.3 million
abortions performed in the US each year, 1.4% are at the 21 week or later period.
This unseemly and inhumane bit of research begs several questions. Is this
an attempt by sleazy insurance companies, always looking for a way to get out
of paying for anything, especially related to women and children's health, to
make a case for withholding anesthesia? Is a fetus able to react to pain at
this point or prior to this point? On what basis do these papers make these
assertions/
It would seem that in all cases regarding pain management with our own species
that every effort would be made to alleviate pain and suffering rather than
to take chances. Another point is that the article and most likely the studies
talk about women - where are the fathers involved in these decisions? The fact
that too many men take a pass and are nowhere to be seen after impregnating
women is another disgrace and central to the abortion issue.
There is also blame to be handed around in the legislatures - where is funding
or support for paying for this anesthesia? Where is the support for tracking
down irresponsible fathers to be in on the decision? Where is the support for
doctors to first do no harm in the penny pinching medical environment that is
quick to underwrite Viagra and other drugs that can cause pregnancy but are
unwilling to see through the consequences. Where are the religious leaders asking
for reforms in health care for families as part of the culture of life?
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