Will ‘Viability’ Begin Earlier for Unborn Babies?

From time to time, I mention how the viability of an unborn baby could begin earlier as technology advances. The New York Times reported on a study about unborn babies “surviving earlier outside the womb than doctors once thought possible.”

The U.S. Supreme Court implied in its decision to legalize the killing of unborn babies that those who can’t yet survive outside the womb aren’t worth protecting. What people once thought was a “glob of tissue” or “clump of cells” actually is an awesome display of a developing human being, cells growing, dividing, and forming recognizable parts.

Most abortions take place during the first trimester, with a third occurring at six weeks. If the woman waits until the 12th week, this is what her baby looks like. Abortion snuffs out that life, and the high court says she has a “privacy” right to do it.

An excerpt from NYT:

The study, of thousands of premature births, found that a tiny minority of babies born at 22 weeks who were medically treated survived with few health problems, although the vast majority died or suffered serious health issues. Leading medical groups had already been discussing whether to lower the consensus on the age of viability, now cited by most medical experts as 24 weeks.

The Supreme Court has said that states cannot ban abortion before a fetus is viable outside the womb, and changing that standard could therefore raise questions about when abortion is legal.

For most parents and doctors, the new study will intensify the agonizing choices faced about how intensively to treat such infants.

What if technology advances to the point that babies can survive outside the womb at 12 weeks? Just like everything else, “viability” is changing with the times.

The study revealed that unborn babies who survived at 22 weeks did so with medical intervention. If viability begins earlier, abortion advocates will focus on whether the baby can survive without this intervention. If not, the woman can kill “it.” Anything to make sure women can continue to kill their own children.

(Photo credit: LifeNews.com’s Steve Ertelt)