When one thinks about abortion advocacy within the medical community, obstetricians and gynecologists come to mind. But this cancer has infiltrated other medical specialties.
There are many, many doctors and medical professionals who value the sanctity of life and work hard to protect and nurture innocent human life from the moment of fertilization until natural death. I personally know numerous such doctors and admire how their belief is reflected in everything they do.
But that’s not true with every physician.
A study titled Abortion Bans and Resource Utilization for Congenital Heart Disease, published in the September 2023 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology bears this out.
The study focused on congenital heart conditions; the most common form is hypoplastic left heart syndrome. It requires two or three significant surgeries to reroute the blood during the first two or three years of the baby’s life.
How does this relate to abortion?
Using four different models the authors estimated how these nationwide laws on abortion would affect this medical specialty: 1) legal abortion on demand prior to the Dobbs decision, 2) ending abortion at 20 weeks, 3) ending abortion at 13 weeks, and 4) protecting all unborn babies throughout pregnancy.
The study estimated that federal legislation protecting all unborn babies would result in an increase of 53.7% of babies with single-ventricle cardiac defects, or an additional nine cases per 100,000 live births. It also estimated an added 531 heart surgeries on newborns, 16 heart transplants, and 77 ECMO utilizations, which is mechanical support similar to a heart-lung machine while the tiny patient awaits surgery.
Shiraz Maskatia, MD, a coauthor of the study said that because of the gravity of the situation, abortion “is offered at most major hospitals following diagnosis.” Adding, “A 20-week ban on abortion limits treatment options.” Abortion isn’t treatment. It is the brutal killing of the patient because those involved aren’t willing to endure the emotional, financial, or otherwise burdens of caring for this desperately ill child.
An analysis of the study by Erin Digitale in Stanford Medicine News took their advocacy of abortion and ran with it.
Digitale was quick to state that even with excellent surgical skills the condition will be fatal for 10% to 30% of the infants receiving care.
That’s certainly a glass-half-empty approach.
This means 90% to 70% of infants survive this condition and will likely lead happy, although altered, lives. This encouraging prognosis should instill hope in the hearts of parents to endure the significant struggles ahead to save the lives of their babies.
The study concluded with a cautionary message directed toward state legislatures inclined to pass pro-life legislation that they should consider the demand of resources on hospitals and the medical community. But by using a nationwide model, the study results greatly exaggerate the impact of a statewide law.
Those who worry about the drain on hospital resources ignore the reality that insurance will cover such procedures as it does with other major physical crises.
What is missing in their mathematical calculations is an estimation of how many neonates, now protected, will benefit from life-saving surgeries and pediatric care. The vast majority of babies who survive will have the opportunity to live happy lives, and their parents, grandparents, and extended families will be blessed beyond words. Not to mention the generational impact of these children growing up to have babies of their own.
Instead, Digitale’s focus and those authoring the study was on losing “protections for abortion” not the gain of protections for their patients who should be at the center of attention. They should be celebrating that more of them will live!
Roe v Wade ushered in a mentality that the unborn are expendable when challenges arise in or out of the womb. That malignant attitude has metastasized throughout many of our medical institutions and the herculean task before us is to once again place innocent human life as the first priority.
Our job isn’t finished until we achieve this victory.
Defending the defenseless,
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