Italy investigates report baby lived through abortion

[Draco]

Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Italian officials are investigating reports that an infant survived an abortion, living for "a whole day" after having been left to die by hospital staff, the Italian Ministry of Health said.
The "premature newborn ... survived an abortion at 22 weeks of pregnancy," the ministry said, citing "media reports." Pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks.


"If the news turns out to be true, we are dealing with a very grave case of ... abandonment of a premature newborn, probably also with some form of handicap: an act which is contrary to the sense of human piety and to any medical practice," the ministry said in a statement released Monday, two days after the abortion was performed.


The Rev. Antonio Martello, a hospital chaplain, discovered that the infant was still alive on Sunday, 20 hours after the abortion, according to the assistant bishop of Rossano, where the incident took place.
Martello was praying in front of the infant when he saw that it was breathing, according to the assistant bishop, the Rev. Santo Battaglia.


Martello immediately alerted doctors, who took the baby to a bigger hospital in the nearby town of Consenza, Battaglia said. It died there hours later.


Italian law allows women to have abortions past week 20 of a pregnancy if the fetus appears to show defects, or if the physical or mental health of the mother requires it.
The Roman Catholic Church opposes abortion.


Three separate investigations are looking into the incident.
Local health authorities are holding one inquiry to determine if the mother's health was really at risk, exactly how many weeks pregnant she was, how long the baby lived, and if the doctors were negligent, the head of that investigation told CNN.


That investigation started Monday and is ongoing, its leader, Dr. Arcangelo Fonti, said.
Separately, legal authorities in Rossano are investigating the incident as a possible manslaughter.
Their probe will include an autopsy to determine how developed the baby's lungs were, which should help determine its exact age, a health ministry representative said on behalf of under-secretary Eugenia Roccella, who handles medical-ethical issues for the department.


The health ministry's own investigation will start Monday to determine if abortion law was breached, and will take the findings of the other two probes into account, the ministry representative said.

Source


I found this disturbing. I don't like the idea of abortion, but women should be allowed to make the choice, however with a case like this..i don't know. Makes you wonder what constitutes a human life, since the infant was 22 weeks old.

[Timbuk2]

Oh Christ. Just wait until the anti-abortion terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsts in Amurika get hold of this.

[Draco]

^^I'm sure it's an isolated/rare case..it's not like a failed abortion such as this one happens often, unless it does?

[Nessus]

Late-term abortions such as this are usually only granted under extreme circumstances such as deformities or other monster-like qualities

[littlelolligagged]

Source


I found this disturbing. I don't like the idea of abortion, but women should be allowed to make the choice, however with a case like this..i don't know. Makes you wonder what constitutes a human life, since the infant was 22 weeks old.

Later abortions when you learn the baby has something wrong, or if it could do damage to the mother aren't something that should be done away with. I don't think it should be done lightly, but the thought of being forced to carry a child with a severe physical or mental handicap is far worse. The "oh, my Downs baby is a miracle from God" crowd is vocal, but then there are the constant stories of kids with disabilities who can't defend themselves being abused and neglected. Don't ever force it.

[Draco]

^^In those instances, where an unborn child has an obvious deformity/mental illness that will render them completely 'incompatible' with the current society/system/education etc, it's understandable and justifiable i guess (to the parents). I've worked with children who were mentally and physically disabled, and it's such a burden for any parent(s) to take on. Especially since most of them just couldn't learn anything, or took an incredibly long time.

[CitizenCain]

Huh.

Looks like the pro-lifers are wrong. Abortion doesn't stop a beating heart.

Late-term abortions such as this are usually only granted under extreme circumstances such as deformities or other monster-like qualities

So much for all people being equal. And good riddance too. I was tired of being considered equal to a cripple, or a retard, or a <shudder> socialist anyway.

[Nessus]

So much for all people being equal.

I think Monsieur Robespierre showed us the value of liberte, egalite, fraternite

[']['ear]

"Italian law allows women to have abortions past week 20 of a pregnancy if the fetus appears to show defects, or if the physical or mental health of the mother requires it."

Possibilities:
1) Somebody screwed up and aborted a late-term fetus when they shouldn't have
2) Somebody failed to kill a justified late-term fetus
3) An anencephalic fetus lived a day (perfectly reasonable).
4) Italy is a third world country masquerading as a developed country, and you can't trust anything they report

None of these say anything about whether abortions should be allowed. But that won't stop the Society for Government Control of Wombs" from using it in their campaign.