Data reveals abortions occurring as late as 37 weeks in QLD
Known clinically as “feticide”, new data has revealed late-term pregnancy termination is occurring as late as 37 weeks in one Queensland hospital.
‘FETICIDE’ STATISTICS
TOTT News has examined rare new data that reveals pregnancy terminations are being carried out at a major Queensland hospital as late as 37 weeks, with an increase in recent years.
In Queensland, pregnancy guidelines state that late termination does occur in certain hospitals after 20 weeks, for reasons which can include fetal aneuploidy, genetic syndromes, late evolving structural abnormalities or when the woman has a severe medical condition.
This is clinically known as “feticide“, according to QLD Health guidelines:
This was until Professor Sailesh Kumar, a Senior Staff Specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and colleagues, recently reviewed rates of late pregnancy termination requiring feticide at the Center for Advanced Prenatal Care at RBWH over the past decade.
According to the internal study by the hospital, the gestational age for late termination has been documented to occur as late as 37 weeks into pregnancy:
These shocking statistics show that Queensland is a major hub of ‘feticide’ practices in Australia.
And remember, this is just for late termination, not including those prior to 23 weeks.
Not just that, but the authors of this study are calling for more acceptance and resources for the future.
CALLS FOR ACCEPTANCE
Following an independent review of state legislation, the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 came into force in Queensland in December, ending regulation of termination of pregnancy by the criminal code.
From here, attempts to normalise the process have only gained steam.
If you thought the study above was an ‘expose’ of the RBWH, that was far from the intention.
In fact, the authors of this study undertook this research to ‘highlight’ just why the ‘stigma’ of late-term abortions should end and more support be given to accommodate this process.
They say that not all abnormalities are detectable early in pregnancy, making safe late termination services ‘essential for equitable reproductive health care‘.
“It is vital that access to late termination is equitable and not restricted by any perceived fear of prosecution among medical practitioners.
Collecting and publishing data about late pregnancy terminations … is essential for informing decisions about resource allocation and service provision.”
They believe it is “incumbent” upon health care providers and legislators to ensure that the “infrastructure for termination of pregnancy care in Australia is secure”.
Meaning, in short, we can expect much more of this to come in the future.
‘O’, Brave New World’.
Source:https://tottnews.com/2022/10/17/abortions-37-weeks-qld/
