Re: pregnancy termination -- follow up ?
From: AMD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 16 Aug 2000 14:07:29 -0500 (CDT)
It is my understanding that late 2nd trimester **elective** terminations
involve the dismemberment of the fetus. Why is this done rather than
inducing labor as described below? Just to speed the process? It seems
stupid for a woman to die of a perforated uterus to simply speed up the
termination.
I actually read an article in a magazine a couple years ago written by a
woman that had the procedure commonly referred to as "partial birth
abortion". There was some major deformity with her baby and a standard
induction was not an option. I believe the "official" name was "Intact
Dilation and Evacuation". The description sounds pretty awful, and I
certainly hope it is only being used in the most dire of circumstances.
A lot of people trying to make abortion illegal would have you believe
this procedure is being performed on demand in the same manner as
1st-trimester terminations. I just can't imagine that is the case.
Although I would love it if the world was as described by Dr. Montgomery
(only non-viable pregnancies are terminated in the 3rd trimester), there
have been a couple news stories this past year about 3rd trimester
terminations of viable fetuses. There was a big hoopla just last year
about a girl who had a termination at 30 weeks because the pregnancy was
the result of a incestuous relationship. I believe they claimed it was
necessary for the health of the mother (mental health). I never
understood why they wouldn't just deliver the baby and place it for
adoption. And I know there was a case here of a young girl being taken
to KS for a 25-week elective termination (elective terminations after 24
weeks are illegal here). I have no idea how these procedures were done.
Andrea
At Wed, 16 Aug 2000, Lynn D. Montgomery, MD wrote:
>
>At Wed, 16 Aug 2000, Barbara wrote:
>>
>>What is the correct name for a pregnancy terminated in the 7th to 9th
>>month? What has happened to the mother or the fetus to cauxe this
>>prceedure?
>>I feel that with the hysteria created by the right wing over this
>>proceedure much information has been lost
>>
>>This is for an article I am writing to compare the political candidates
>>to reproductive rights.
>>
>>Thank you
>
>Barbara,
>Good Question. Most obstetricians do not know what the term "Partial
>birth abortion" means. It is a political catch phrase utilized to pull
>at the layperson's heart strings, in an effort to gain inroads toward
>making abortion illegal.
>Certainly there are indications for delivering a fetus prematurely. Some
>of those indications involve the health of the mother and some the
>health of the fetus. In these cases, there is no termination involved.
>If a decision is made to proceed with delivery because either the mother
>or fetus are not doing well, then every effort is made to protect the
>baby during and after the delivery, even if that means a cesarean
>section. The fetus becomes a premature infant, cared for in an neonatal
>intensive care unit with all life saving measures.
>The only other circumstance were interruption of a pregnancy is
>undertaken earlier than term is when it is definitively proven that the
>fetus has an abnormality that is clearly known to be lethal (i.e.
>anencephaly, renal agenesis, trisomy 13 & 18). In these cases, the
>mother is informed of the lethality of the abnormality and is given the
>options of delivery of the fetus at that point or waiting until the term
>of the pregnancy and allowing spontaneous onset of labor. Many women
>choose to proceed with delivery at the point of diagnosis because they
>do not want to go through the remainder of the pregnancy given the fact
>that baby will die following delivery anyway. Some women choose to
>allow nature to take its course, go to term and deliver. When a mother
>decides to deliver an infant with a lethal abnormality at the time of
>diagnosis, labor is induced, just as it is at term. A vaginal delivery
>is accomplished. The fetus is not dismembered or mutilated. Following
>delivery, the infant is nutured, kept comfortable and most importantly,
>allowed to spend its limited time with the parents...
>I have practiced obstetrics for 12 years, did my residency and
>fellowship in Houston and have pretty much seen most everything and I
>don't know of or have heard of anybody doing the so called "partial
>birth abortion"...
>Lynn
>
>--
>Lynn D. Montgomery, MD
>Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
>Rocky Mountain Perinatal Center
>Missoula, Montana
>
>**Note: Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship. This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options and/or interventions.
>
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>
>**Thank you for your understanding ;-)
>
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