Doctors working on behalf of the Institute of Obstreticians and Gynaecologists have asked that foeticide might be made legal for unborn children with so-called “fatal foetal abnormalities”. Foeticide means the killing of a foetus and is effected by a lethal injection to the heart of the child while in utero.
The doctors fear that the Government’s published legislative schema would require babies beyond the point of viability to be delivered early and be given all necessary care. However, the legislation in question has a ground for the abortion of babies with a high likelihood of dying shortly before or after birth and there are no gestational limits attached to this ground. Nonetheless, the doctors say that in other countries, doctors have faced ‘wrongful birth’ lawsuits when babies were born alive after abortions. Dr Keelin O’Donoghue told the Sunday business Post, “I worry that we will be very exposed on this issue as the [published heads of the bill] does not allow for foeticide”, she said. If babies live longer than originally anticipated, it would “create a lot of challenges for parents and clinicians,” she added.
Dr Noirin Russell said other countries allowed doctors to give medication “to stop the baby’s heart [in utero] and ensure it is born sleeping.” She said this was part of a “compassionate delivery of care” and in England, when offered the choice of early delivery followed by comfort care or foeticide and induction, most parents make the choice for foeticide.
She added that doctors are seriously concerned about additional litigation. “We are already spending more on obstetrics litigation than we are on obstetric care. All of this needs to be very carefully planned,” she said.
A spokesperson for Doctors For Life took Dr Russell to task for the use of the euphemism “born sleeping”. In a statement on twitter, he said “Dr Russell is allegedly quoted as saying to give medication ‘to stop the babies heart (in utero) & ensure it is born sleeping.’ Sorry doctor, but stopping a heart means you are ensuring ‘it is born dead.’ If you were ‘asleep’ & your heart stopped – you’d be ‘dead’ not ‘sleeping.’”
