Fetal crying
Fetuses, it seems, can cry too. New research shows a fetus going through the same motions an infant or young child does when they cry: sharp, irregular intake of breaths, an open mouth, and chin quivering. There’s even a video of a moving ultrasound showing a girl crying at 28 weeks. I found the video absolutely amazing, not ever having seen a still ultrasound or anything of the sort, being an only child and one of the youngest in my extended family. It aroused protective feelings in me, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s going to feel that way when they see the video clip.
I expect that anti-abortion advocacy groups will use this as fodder for their campaign, especially since they already use hurting an unborn child as a tool against abortion. This video comes at a time when the subject of fetal pain is being hotly debated, and other studies are indicating that they cannot.
Their report, being published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is based on a review of several hundred scientific papers, and it says nerve connections in the brain are unlikely to have developed enough for the fetus to feel pain before 29 weeks.
Well, I just saw a video that begs to differ. Arguing whether what I saw was pain or not seems to be a semantical argument at best, because that fetus was clearly in discomfort. Assuming (and this is a big assumption to make right now) that the fetus can feel pain, fetuses being aborted in the 28-29 week stage will likely have to anesthetized before they can be aborted for ethical reasons.
“This is an unknowable question,” said Dr. David Grimes, a former head of abortion surveillance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who now delivers babies and also performs abortions in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“All we can do in medicine is to infer.” Nonetheless, he said, the new article makes a compelling case for lack of pain perception in fetuses before 29 weeks.
Indeed it is “unknowable,” but I think this video makes a strong case for fetal pain, and certainly crying. While I have mixed feelings on the abortion issue, and I don’t feel that this is the place to air them, I certainly sympathize with that fetus. Hearing tones at the 100Hz level at 95dB would probably make me cranky, too.
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The very first thing I thought while reading this, before even getting to the abortion issues, was that the crying was just related to general baby crying and not necessarily pain. I agree with you that it potentially raises lots of ethical issues regarding the *possibility* of pain, but babies cry all the time for reasons not relating to pain and I wouldn’t necessarily expect anything different from a fetus who could cry.
Comment by Jacqui — September 23, 2005 @ 11:06 am
Yes I agree with you re: it potentially not being pain. I do think, though, that the point still stands that the baby is responding to a stimulus, and this should be taken into account if an abortion so late is to be performed.
I know it’s a mistake, but I find it interesting that you refer to a fetus as a “who” instead of a “what.” ;)
Comment by Rian — September 23, 2005 @ 7:12 pm
Well you cannot be sure whether the fetus is crying because it is reflexing or hurting. One amazing scan was taken whilst an abortion was carried out teh fetus was crying when the instrument was struck. Although we can only speculate, but when a life is concerned i think the worst should be considered.
Comment by maria — October 7, 2006 @ 6:33 am
Im not trying to burst a bubble or anything, becaeu I love kids and learning new things…but this video seems to be the highlight of the internet when it comes to “fetal crying;” however, how is it possible to “inhale/ehale” with no lungs or oxegen?? The “breaths’ are therefore impossible, and the “quick” movements look more like muscle contractions.
Comment by Curn — July 26, 2007 @ 5:53 pm