The UK abortion law says that abortion of a baby is allowed up to 24 weeks gestation. Taking into account that it is considered a term pregnancy that reaches 40 weeks we could say that the limit is already too high, given that the time at which gestation reaches its equator passes for 4 weeks.
In case that calculation is not enough, several miracle babies seem to be trying to push that limit down (indirectly, of course), and the debate is reopened again after knowing the case of Bella Davison, a girl who was born 23 weeks gestation, which weighed 567 grams and continues as a champion.
Bella had a sister
They were twin sisters, two came, Bella and Sophia, but her sister did not survive. They were born both at 23 weeks gestation and Bella managed to survive. This happened 11 weeks ago and now Bella has managed to multiply her weight by four, although he still needs a lot of medical care (he was born on November 12).
Science has advanced a lot
A few years ago it is very possible that not even Bella could have survived, however every time we see smaller babies getting ahead and it is very difficult to establish the age or weight limit from which it is practically impossible to save a baby. In fact, in the same United Kingdom they have a limit of 22 weeks or weighing at least 1 pound of weight (453 grams) and we know the case of Maddalena, a girl who was born 23 weeks but weighed 382 grams. Because of the weight, most likely they would have decided not to do anything for her, but it happened by chance that at the time of weighing the girl, scissors would remain on the scale and reach that pound of minimum weight. That coincidence made the girl move forward with the care that was sought.
For this reason, Vicky Jackson, Bella's mother, and many people who share her opinion, are asking that the law be amended so that the limit is lowered to a more sensible figure, such as the 14 weeks we have here in Spain.
In the words of herself, as read in The Reason:
Bella is living proof that babies can survive with 23 weeks. Maybe 10 years ago it was different because there were not the same medical advances that exist now and that allow these premature babies to be kept alive. I know families whose babies were born at 23 weeks and their children now go to school, which shows that they can survive.
Should I change the law?
As I said at the beginning, 24 weeks seems like a long time, too much, to then have an abortion. I myself have known babies who were born with just over 24 weeks and knowing that they get ahead seems like a compelling reason to consider that it is a stage of pregnancy advanced enough to abort.
What do you think?
Via and Photo of Bella and her parents | Mirror
Photo | Thinkstock
In Babies and more | Exciting video of the struggle of a premature baby to get ahead, Documentary '24 hours in a pediatric ICU ': babies struggling for their lives, Babies whose lives at birth hang by a thread
