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14/04/2006
Foetuses 'unable to feel pain'
There is "good evidence" that foetuses cannot feel pain, a report in the British Medical Journal has claimed.
Dr Stuart Derbyshire, a senior psychologist at the University of Birmingham, examined the neurological and psychological evidence to support a concept of foetal pain.
The report said that the neural circuitry for processing pain could be considered complete by 26 weeks gestation. However, Dr Derbyshire said that pain experience required not only development of the brain, but also development of the mind to accommodate the subjectivity of pain.
Dr Derbyshire said that development of the mind only occurred outside the womb, through the actions of the infant and interactions with primary caregivers.
Dr Derbyshire said that the absence of pain in the foetus did not resolve the morality of abortion, however, he did say that it argued against legal and clinical efforts to prevent such pain during an abortion.
The US is currently considering proposals, which would require women seeking abortions to be informed of the potential for foetuses to feel pain.
Dr Derbyshire said: "Avoiding a discussion of foetal pain with women requesting abortions is not misguided paternalism, but a sound policy based on good evidence that foetuses cannot experience pain."
Anna Pringle, from pro-life charity Life said that other research had shown that unborn children can respond to external aural stimuli such as music and conversation by the age of 20 weeks, while other research had shown that unborn children responded to physical stimuli.
However, she agreed with Dr Derbyshire's remarks that the issue of whether foetuses could feel pain was irrelevant to the abortion debate.
(KMcA)
Dr Stuart Derbyshire, a senior psychologist at the University of Birmingham, examined the neurological and psychological evidence to support a concept of foetal pain.
The report said that the neural circuitry for processing pain could be considered complete by 26 weeks gestation. However, Dr Derbyshire said that pain experience required not only development of the brain, but also development of the mind to accommodate the subjectivity of pain.
Dr Derbyshire said that development of the mind only occurred outside the womb, through the actions of the infant and interactions with primary caregivers.
Dr Derbyshire said that the absence of pain in the foetus did not resolve the morality of abortion, however, he did say that it argued against legal and clinical efforts to prevent such pain during an abortion.
The US is currently considering proposals, which would require women seeking abortions to be informed of the potential for foetuses to feel pain.
Dr Derbyshire said: "Avoiding a discussion of foetal pain with women requesting abortions is not misguided paternalism, but a sound policy based on good evidence that foetuses cannot experience pain."
Anna Pringle, from pro-life charity Life said that other research had shown that unborn children can respond to external aural stimuli such as music and conversation by the age of 20 weeks, while other research had shown that unborn children responded to physical stimuli.
However, she agreed with Dr Derbyshire's remarks that the issue of whether foetuses could feel pain was irrelevant to the abortion debate.
(KMcA)
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