May
19
2008

Tough decisions

Tomorrow MP’s will debate, among other things, the time limits for termination. Currently this stands at 24 weeks (although I believe that even later terminations are possible if there are significant disabilities, or risks to the mother – someone might correct me on that one though!!)

My younger cousin Ali was born early, at about 24 weeks I think, weighing 1lb 11oz. She is now 17 years old and apart from being a typical pain in the arse she is perfectly normal. I remember at the time being absolutely horrified that a foetus could have been terminated right up until the time she was born. I also remember very well looking at her through the window into the special care unit and thinking she looked like a little monkey, and was really scrawny and funny looking.

Many years ago I was an avid pro-lifer, but I guess over time I have changed. Working as a social worker gives you a complete shift in thinking when you see what other people have to go through and some of the tough decisions they have to make. Whilst I still absolutely believe in the sanctity of life, I also recognise that for some people, termination may be the right solution in a very difficult situation. The one thing I have a really hard time with though is the fact that a foetus can be terminated so late… 24 weeks is far, far to late. If Ali could survive at 24 weeks, over 17 years ago, then surely medical technology has moved on significantly since then. I know that 20 weeks has been mooted as an option, but even that is too late… what about 16 weeks? Surely 4 months is long enough for someone to make a decision?

I know I have never been in that situation, and I would never, ever pass judgement on someone who make a choice to end a pregnancy, but I would hope that as a civilised society we can protect and care for the most vulnerable individuals, whether they have been born already, or whether they are yet to enter into this world. Responding with grace and compassion is essential when we enter a debate such as this. Without it we will always have polarised opinions and we will lose the people in the middle who are affected by the decisions.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

7 Comments »

  • I have always been massively pro-choice. But going to the Body Worlds exhibition a few years back and seeing the difference in development between the beginning and end of the fourth week made me re-evaluate and re-question the whys and wherefores. (Unquestioning pro choice is just as bad as unquestioning pro life I think).

    And now that friends and family are beginning to sprog with some pace there’s even more grey and a lot less black and white.

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • Auntie Doris

    I went to that exhibition too… and thought very similar things. I guess the grey increases every time I learn something new. It is definitely a tough one, whatever is decided.

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • mrs whibley

    Although I’d like to see the limit a bit earlier, and of course would like to see the number of terminations reduced (however that is best achieved), can I comment on one point? Essentially the lower limit of survival has not decreased by much over the last 15-20 years. What has improved is the proportion of very premature babies that survive, and of those the proportion that have no major disability. This is probably the reason that the 24 week limit has been kept for as long as it has.

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • Auntie Doris

    I *think* that is what I meant, although I worded it very badly. As usual. Thanks for your comment 🙂

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • birdie

    As I understand it Mrs Whibley is right; the prognosis for very premature babies is now much better than it used to be, but the point in the pregnancy after which chances of survival increase significantly has not become any earlier.

    Sadly I think the debate about the 24 week limit (although I’d like to see it earlier) is a bit of a red herring in terms of reducing the number of terminations – only a very tiny proportion of terminations happen that late – the vast majority are within the first trimester of pregnancy. Reducing that number would not have a significant impact on the number of terminations carried out over all. And while I think that no woman makes the decision to have a termination lightly, that is even more the case when the pregnancy has advanced to this sort of point. We are well past the stage of being able to think of the baby as just a bunch of cells, or not really a baby yet, etc. The process of termination at the later stages is a good deal more unpleasant than earlier, and I don’t think this is ever a decision made lightly.

    I would describe myself as pro-life, but without the implication of general unthinkingness that the label carries! I would love to see the number of terminations carried out significantly reduced, but I think lowering the time limit wouldn’t actually have much effect on that.

    It won’t surprise you at all to learn that what disturbs me more than anything is that there is _no_ time limit on terminations in the case of severe disability.

    Here endeth the ramble.

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • Auntie Doris

    Thanks birdie… re: very late terminations I thought you might be along to correct me 🙂

    Comment | May 20, 2008
  • Es

    I am pro choice, i suppose.

    However, I think the disablist assumptions present in allowing different rules for disabled and non disabled feotus’s is fucked up in the extreme.

    Disability is imposed by society. It is not a measure of how normal or abnormal a doctor believes you are, or how normal he (because lets face it, they usually are) can make you if he tries (with or without your consent).

    Grrrrr.

    Comment | May 24, 2008

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