Monday, August 18, 2008

When does life begin?

That is a question that no 2 doctors can agree upon. Some say conception, some say birth and even more say viable birth. It depends on what you believe life is and what your view on abortion is.

I believe that abortion is a moral wrong. But I also believe that life doesn't begin at conception but at viable birth. Unless a child is able to live outside his or her mother's womb, it cannot be considered alive, but has the potential for human life.

We can argue this for years and not come to a consensus. Yet Barack Hussein Obama doesn't even believe that a child has the right to live after viable birth. When asked at the Saddleback Church Forum the following:
Question: At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?

He answered: Well, I think that whether you are looking at at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
He never answered the question. He skirted the issue and then went on to lie about his record. His vote in the Illinois State House was against partial birth abortion was in favor of it.

I bring this up because of the following article I read today:
Preemie spontaneously breathes hours after pronounced dead

Medical staff at Nahariya hospital stunned by premature baby showing vital signs five hours after being pronounced dead, kept in hospital cryolab. Case dubbed medical miracle, Health Ministry to launch probe.

A medical miracle or gross negligence?
A premature baby girl, born as a result of induced labor, was pronounced dead Monday at the Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, only to be discovered, by chance, as has having viable vital signs five hours later.

According to the information available about the case, the baby's mother, five months pregnant at the time, checked into the hospital several days ago, for a series of prenatal tests.

The tests indicated she was experiencing some intrauterine bleeding and that her fetus had no pulse. Her doctors then scheduled a second-trimester termination procedure, which was carried out on Monday morning.

Ynet has learned that once the procedure was completed, the medical staff followed protocol and verified that the preemie was not breathing, subsequently pronouncing her dead.

The body was then transferred to the hospital cryogenic laboratory (cryolab), before being sent on to the pathology lab for a battery of routine postmortem tests, meant to give the doctors and her parents more answers as to the cause of her death.

The preemie spent five hours inside the cryolab's cooler when her father, accompanied by the medical staff, asked to see the body.

Upon opening the cooler, the baby began showing signs of spontaneous breathing. She was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit and placed in an incubator and on a respirator, to assist her breathing.

Divine intervention?

Dr. Moshe Daniel, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Nahariya hospital, told Ynet the case stunned the staff:

"I've been a doctor for 35 years and this is the first time I've ever seen such a thing happen. This is somewhat of a medical miracle. We've informed the Health Ministry and I guess they'll appoint a commission of inquiry. The hospital will ask for an external investigation of the case."

Dr. Daniel was unfortunately pessimistic as to the baby's chances of survival: "Because of just how premature she is, her chances are very slim. Then again, she already saw divine intervention once so you never know. We're doing everything we can for her."

As for the miracle, Daniel estimated it was the cold that kept the baby's metabolism rate and use of oxygen low, adding that medical literature is familiar with case of children and adults who have "come back to life" after being seemingly frozen. He was, however, unaware of any recorded case involving a baby.

A second-trimester termination procedure, done in this case in the 23rd week of pregnancy, is done by inducing labor, and while considered a termination, had the medical staff detected any fetal vital signs they would have immediately done everything in their power to resuscitate the baby.

A wonderful miracle for the parents and a reminder to those who say they don't know when life begins. Life begins at birth. And for this little girl it will be a hard struggle to survive, but with G-d's help she will.





7 comments:

CKAinRedStateUSA said...

I agree that abortion is a moral wrong.

But I also fully disagree with and find puzzling this, which you said: "I also believe that life doesn't begin at conception but at viable birth. Unless a child is able to live outside his or her mother's womb, it cannot be considered alive, but has the potential for human life."

Given that, then how can you possibly find abortion wrong, since, by your definition, no life was aborted?

BTW: I'm sure you must've omitted something by saying "Unless a child can live outside his or his mother's womb." Outside his womb?

BTW2: It is not up to physicians to decide when life is or is not. It's a spiritual consideration--and either it's embraced that life does begin at conception or it's not embraced. Medical texts, traditions, philosophies, etc., are merely secular means by which to rationalize death of the unborn by abortion.

Findalis said...

Very simply. Every fetus is the potential of human life. That potential has a right to grow to maturity if it can. Thus the moral dilemma that many women have. Thus in seeing that a fetus is a potential human, I personally cannot destroy that possibility. Nor would I willingly to do so.

The actual quote is:

Unless a child is able to live outside his or her mother's womb, it cannot be considered alive, but has the potential for human life.

Doctors have a moral duty to save life, but when all known tests show that the fetus has died and has not been expelled by the mother's body, they also must have the courage to induce labor.

I know for I had this happen to me. If the doctor hadn't had the courage to induce labor in me then, I would never had been able to have my children.

Sometimes you have to do what some would call the unthinkable.

I still mourn over the child I lost, but cherish the ones I was fortunate to have.

WomanHonorThyself said...

Every fetus is the potential of human life...amen girl!

Roy Lofquist said...

Dear FINDALIS,

The argument as to when a fetus becomes a human being is a red herring. If you are a Darwinist then you can argue from utility and practicality. If you are a dualist, that is that you believe that the essence of a human being is a separate soul endowed by a creator, then the answer is unknowable but the only safe assumption, religiously and philosophically, is that it begins at fertilization.

Regards,
Roy

Findalis said...

And yet roy, every woman who has miscarried has asked herself and her religious leader the same question.

While there is no easy answer, Obama's was way off target. Life is a precious gift from G-d. Abortion destroys that gift. And no one has a right to destroy the gifts that G-d brings us.

Right Truth said...

Obama copped out, he didn't have the courage to take a stand either way.

Debbie Hamilton
Right Truth

seraph said...

Dearest:

No 2 lawyers may agree when life begins, or maybe theologians have trouble deciding when the "soul" is infused, but biologically, there is life at fertilization. I am sure doctors are quite aware of that as are kids who take biology class...its really quite simple.

Wether that life develops to viability or is allowed to do so, is a different question altogether...!

The Supreme Court may define legally what constitutes a "person", and we are free to accept that or not, but that does not erase biological realities.

Blessings

Seraph