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By eight weeks a baby can feel pain, the thalamus has started to function.  
As no pain relief is given to the baby and it can feel pain by that point, how is it right to assume that a partially born baby can't feel pain during the abortion?

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Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, question the view that a foetus feels pain at 22 weeks, as proposed by some people.

They say that signs of a withdrawal reflex or hormonal stress response at that time are automatic reactions, not signs of discomfort.

Drawing on findings from thousands of articles in medical journals on the subject of foetal pain and related topics, Dr Mark Rosen and team write that "pain is a subjective sensory and emotional experience that requires the presence of consciousness".

Consciousness is created by brain connections between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex, and those do not begin to develop before the 23rd week and possibly not before the 30th week of gestation. The human gestation period is 38 weeks from conception.

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Post edited at 8:43 am on Dec. 2, 2008 by marshmellowman

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and victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace.

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yes. and babies can survive a few weeks after, i should know i was born at 26 weeks!

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Quote: from Aliboo at 4:43 pm on Dec. 2, 2008

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yes. and babies can survive a few weeks after, i should know i was born at 26 weeks!

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You were really born 3 months premature?

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My cousin was born 24 weeks and he could certainly feel pain

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Long Live The Car-Crash Hearts

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My cousin was born 24 weeks and he could certainly feel pain

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By eight weeks a baby can feel pain, the thalamus has started to function.

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My medical textbook (Langman's Medical Embryology 10th Ed.) says otherwise. They can't feel shit before ~30 weeks.

The US Partial-Birth Abortion Ban is ridiculous and illogical. If abortions are going to happen who cares whether it occurs in vitro or during birth? It is legislation designed to play on emotion rather than science, something that anti-abortionists across the world are so effective at.

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Massive, epic adventure, multi-coloured, multi-layered.
Sort of two/three dimensional Wizard of Oz for the future.

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Personally, I don't see the point of partial-birth abortions. Out of curiosity, does anyone know of any reasons why someone would choose to have a partial-birth abortion?

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IDK, who knows.

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click and please click
^use head phones

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Partial-Birth Abortion is possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever heard of, and does count as murder and child abuse in my opinion.  

The fetus, at 24 weeks can feel pain but would have had to feel itself being killed if it was aborted in this way.  

I am pro-choice but I wonder why anyone would choose to subject another lifeform to this treatment.  

I realise that this is old news, but I'd like to have my say in the matter

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There is no concrete evidence that a fetus can feel pain at 24 weeks. Researchers believe it's anywhere from 24-30 weeks, with some heterodox theorists saying a fetus can never feel pain - only a baby upon taking his first breath.  

Partial-birth abortion is necessary for surgeries where the mother's life is in danger. It should not be banned. No woman, during any point in her pregnancy, should have to do put her state into the hands of others.

Post edited at 11:28 am on Dec. 2, 2008 by GeneCosta

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Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man
how to fish, you ruin a wonderful business opportunity. - Karl Marx

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Personally, I don't see the point of partial-birth abortions. Out of curiosity, does anyone know of any reasons why someone would choose to have a partial-birth abortion?

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Most women who get it are advised by their doctors that either they will have medical complications later on. Partial birth abortion contributes to a higher survival rate.

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Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man
how to fish, you ruin a wonderful business opportunity. - Karl Marx

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Quote: from NikkiInkz at 4:47 pm on Dec. 2, 2008

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My cousin was born 24 weeks and he could certainly feel pain

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Very, very few babies are born that early, and besides ignoring the rest of my posts, I'd like more concrete information than something as dubious as you're claiming now.

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Nor is pain relevant to the discussion. It's a matter of having the state rape women, or not.

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Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man
how to fish, you ruin a wonderful business opportunity. - Karl Marx

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Agreed. Its not that I dont think abortions should be legal (would I have one? No. But women should be able to), but if they can't make up their mind before 6 months into the pregnancy, then they shouldnt be getting the abortion; by that point, its a child, imo.  

However, if they have the abortion before that, much as I may disagree with them, go right ahead. Your choice, your body.

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Partial birth abortion is mostly used for medical problems. Currently it is legal to use this procedure for such cases, but anyone should be able to.

There is no point in making abortion illegal - at any stage, for any purpose. It increases the size of government, and creates physical hazards - both from pregnancy complications and from having teenagers report their problem to abusive parents. No woman should end up in jail for an abortion. We don't need to throw women into the slammer for it. If a woman is able to find a doctor who will perform an abortion at 30 works, she should be able to.

Post edited at 11:32 am on Dec. 2, 2008 by GeneCosta

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Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man
how to fish, you ruin a wonderful business opportunity. - Karl Marx

I don't have any statistics to hand but I can't imagine why there should be any partial birth abortions for non-medical reasons. Generally women who have progressed that far into a pregnancy have made up their mind to keep it.

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Massive, epic adventure, multi-coloured, multi-layered.
Sort of two/three dimensional Wizard of Oz for the future.

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I am taught that if the life of a pregnant woman (and therefore her fetus) is in danger then your priority is always the life of the woman, there are no exceptions.

I don't have any statistics to hand but I can't imagine why there should be any partial birth abortions for non-medical reasons. Generally women who have progressed that far into a pregnancy have made up their mind to keep it.

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That was my thought, too. I just can't figure out what kinds of medical conditions would exist that would necessitate a partial-birth abortion.

Of course, speaking from a woman's perspective, I'd be downright pissed if it was me or the baby and the doctors chose me. BUT that's just me. I can't judge other people who don't feel the same way.

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Let yourself be enchanted,
You just might break through
To ever ever after