Albuquerque – In the past two days New Mexico experts with professional experience with the issue of abortion and fetal pain, spoke out in support of banning dangerous late-term abortions as reported in the Albuquerque Journal. Because New Mexico is one of the few states to permit abortions for all nine months of pregnancy, Albuquerque has become home to the largest late-term abortion facility in the country.
“While opponents of common-sense abortion regulations are trumpeting out a retired family practice doctor who does not have first-hand experience with late-term abortions, and who is not up-to-date on the latest science about fetal pain and the dangers of the late-term abortion practice, two medical specialists in abortion, women’s health and fetal surgery have spoken out in favor of this ban to protect the health and safety of women and unborn children,” said Elisa Martinez, executive director of Protect ABQ Women & Children. “The current doctors who are authorities on this issue in the field of gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine are a sharp contrast to a a retired doctor offering her ideological opinion without direct medical or professional experience to speak on this issue.”
Dr. Steffan Brown, a University of New Mexico physician completing a fellow ship in maternal-fetal medicine. Brown, who performs minimally invasive procedures with fetuses at UNM Hospital, said he uses painkillers on both mothers and fetuses to improve outcomes.
“I think something needs to be done to curb late-term abortions in New Mexico…,” Brown said.
“Clearly, giving pain medicine changes the way the fetus reacts, so we regularly give fetal analgesia to keep the fetus comfortable during procedures (life-saving fetal surgeries),” Brown said.
Uyttebrouck, Olivier. “Fetal pain at center of late-term abortion debate,” Albuquerque Journal, Novemer 10, 2013.
Practicing Las Cruces gynecologist and former abortionist, Dr. Tony Levatino who testified be for the U.S. House of Representatives in support of a 20-week abortion ban and was in Albuquerque to speak about it and stated:
About 10 percent of the 1,200 abortions he preformed were after 20 weeks of pregnancy. He said that stage of pregnancy is an appropriate time to prohibit abortions, because a fetus at that point is on the “edge of viability.” Levatino said fetuses at 20 weeks have around a 20 percent chance of viability. A week later, he said, viability chances increase to 60 percent.
“Because there’s variations, how do I know which of those … is going to survive or not,” Levatino said.
In July, members of Protect ABQ Women & Children, along with other pro-life groups, turned in nearly 27,000 signatures, more than double the necessary needed to put the measure on a city-wide ballot, in half the allotted time. Protect ABQ Women & Children is a local advocacy campaign that is working to raise awareness of the dangers of the late-term abortion industry in Albuquerque and to garner support for the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance,” which bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. For more information on our efforts, please visit:
www.ProtectABQWomen&Children.com.
