20 obvious rebuttals to nadine dorries' "twenty reasons for twenty weeks"

Various discussions have been scattered across different posts, comments and blogs. So, for ease of reading, here's Nadine Dorries' twenty reasons for twenty weeks and the quick and dirty rebuttals:

1. Public, parliamentary and medical opinion is changing on late abortion. 63% of MPs, two thirds of GPs, nearly two thirds of the public and more than three-quarters of women support a reduction in the 24-week upper age limit.

A selective exercise in opinion polling (without actually citing any sources for the polls) rather than actual medical research or evidence to support a change.

Support for abortion on demand remains high: 63% according to the most recent annual MORI poll. You might also note that the BMA - the overarching representative body for doctors - overwhelmingly rejected a change in week limit when the issue was last discussed in 2005.

2. High profile cases of babies surviving well below 24 weeks like Manchester's Millie McDonagh, born at 22 weeks, and the world's most premature baby, Amillia Taylor, who was born a week younger, both in October 2006.

This fails to make any note of actual survival rates for premature births, choosing to distort by focussing on a literal extreme, "the worlds' most premature baby." Such cases of survival are actually very rare - the fact that a case is "high profile" is irrelevant.

3. High resolution 3D ultrasound images, pioneered by Professor Stuart Campbell, have shown babies in amazing detail 'walking', yawning, stretching and sucking their thumbs in the womb.

and

20. A 3D ultrasound image.

Both are a transparent appeal to emotion that tell us nothing about foetal viability.

4. In top neonatal units, such as in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 80% of babies born at 24 weeks and 66% of babies born at 23 weeks will survive. Recent figures from University College London are similar.

Sadly, the results of "top neonatal units" tell us nothing about survival rates in the overwhelming majority of other hospitals, and omits any mention of the physical and mental disabilities that are a common consequence of premature birth. A new study due to be published in the peer-reviewed BMJ has found no improvement in survival rates before 24 weeks (though significant improvements after).

5. Recent research, such as that by Professor Sunny Anand from the University of Arkansas, has shown that fetuses are well enough developed to feel pain down to 18 weeks gestation.

There are a number of significant problems with the assumptions made about the findings of this research: see Unity for the short and long discussions.

6. Mothers first feel their babies kick at 19 weeks in a first pregnancy and at 17 weeks in a later pregnancy.

This is another appeal to emotion; it also tell us nothing about foetal viability.

7. Stories of babies born alive after botched abortions, as young as 16 weeks, are increasingly common and have understandably shocked the public.

Despite tabloid hyperbole, such stories are still extremely rare; abortion has never been safer or carried out with greater care. This is also an argument for earlier, easier access to medical abortion.

8. The number of abortions carried out between 20 and 24 weeks has been rising in recent years. Lowering the limit to 20 weeks for normal babies will save almost 2,300 young lives per year.

This ignores both that the abortions which take place between 20 and 24 weeks represent a tiny percentage of the total (around 2%) and the urgent reasons why those procedures take place (such as serious developmental conditions that are not apparent until after week 20).

9. Leading public figures including Opposition leader David Cameron are calling for a cut to at least 20 weeks.

This is an irrelevant appeal to authority. There are also many leading public figures who think the week limit should remain where it is.

10. Britain has the most liberal abortion laws in Europe. A termination can be obtained up to 24 weeks of pregnancy - double the limits in France and Germany and six weeks later than in Sweden or Norway.

The fact that we are "the most liberal" in Europe is irrelevant. There are plenty of ways in which our laws differ from other countries and for good reasons: simply observing difference is not argument.

11. The methods required to abort a post 20 week baby are abhorrent. To avoid a live birth a lethal injection is given into the baby’s heart through the mother’s abdominal wall. The baby is then delivered stillborn or is surgically dismembered and removed from the uterus limb by limb.

This is another appeal to (negative) emotion - besides which, the details of surgical abortion do not tell us anything about fetal viability, or the advances in medical science which would supposedly justify a reduction in the week limit. If anything, this is an argument for quicker access to medical abortion in earlier stages of pregnancy.

12. A recent Royal College of Psychiatrists report acknowledges a link between abortion and mental illness. This is worse with late abortions, especially those for fetal abnormality.

This is a combination of distortion and untruth. The RCP statement (pdf) actually said this:

The specific issue of whether or not induced abortion has harmful effects on women's health remains to be fully resolved. The current research evidence base is inconclusive - some studies indicate no evidence of harm, while other studies identify a range of mental disorders following abortion.

This is far from a simple acknowledgement of a causative link between abortion and mental illness.

13. The vast majority of late abortions (after 16 weeks) take place in private clinics but are classified as ‘NHS Agency’ (ie charged to the NHS). Abortions over 20 weeks cost from £1,300 to £1,600 each and there are inevitably financial vested interests involved.

A simple slur offered without any evidence to support it. It also ignores the very simple, pragmatic reasons why the NHS alone cannot provide the specialised service that is abortion.

14. Babies are now undergoing surgery in the womb under 24 weeks, the photograph of Samuel Armas having surgery at 21 weeks for spina bifida has received international attention.

Almost entirely irrelevant: what does this have to do with late-stage abortion?

15. Very few if any UK graduates are now willing to perform abortions beyond 16 weeks. Almost all doctors performing late abortions in the UK, in BPAS clinics, are from overseas.

Abortion practice has always been limited to a very small percentage of the medical community - there are a number of other specialisms with limited interest. But again, it tells us nothing about foetal viability or the state of medical science.

16. A Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guideline, supporting an upper limit of 24 weeks, was published in 2004 and needs to be updated in line with the latest evidence on fetal sentience, ultrasound and neonatal survival.

This is not argument: it's the opinion that RCOG should change their minds and agree with Nadine Dorries.

17. The British Medical Association’s opposition to lowering the limit is not supported by the majority of its members and almost 1,000 BMA members recently signed a petition against attempts to further liberalise BMA policy.

The BMA voted overwhelmingly to reject a motion calling for reduction in the 24 week limit.

18. Pregnancy testing kits are freely available at chemists and there is now little excuse for not diagnosing pregnancy long before 20 weeks.

This entirely ignores the circumstances and reasons why late-stage abortion is necessary. Pregnancy testing kits cannot detect birth defects.

19. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s report recommending retention of the 24 week upper limit was heavily influenced by pro-abortion witnesses.

This claim attempts to attack expert witnesses, rather than actual research. It's a slur that has been discussed previously at painful length for its hypocrisy.