Fetus Cannot Feel Pain, Expert Says

yahoo.com ^ | 4/14/06

[paudio]

FRIDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Fetuses cannot feel pain, therefore U.S. legislation requiring doctors to tell women that the fetus will feel pain, or to provide pain relief during abortions, has no scientific basis and may harm the women involved, a leading expert contends.

"This is an unwarranted piece of legislation because there is good evidence that the fetus cannot feel pain at any stage of gestation," said Stuart Derbyshire, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Birmingham, U.K.

He authored an review of the available data on the subject in the April 15 issue of the British Medical Journal.

[Now_is_The_Time]

In conjunction with another recent medical discovery (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1614467/posts), it has been concluded that fetuses only feel pain when they are being prayed for.

[chit*chat]

I think the researchers mean HE/SHE cannot feel the pain that they inflict on the fetus.

[the_Watchman]

Why is it that liberals can feel your pain, but not the pain of a fetus?

[Now_is_The_Time]

Stupid punctuation :P http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1614467/posts

[muawiyah]

This quack should be placed on a list that keeps him out of the United States.

He is dangerous.

[Always Right]

"He redefines pain such that not even a newborn could experience pain in the way he defines it, and then concludes that fetuses can't experience pain and that's absurd," Christensen said.

There you go, it is all on how you define pain. Until you can vocalize, 'that hurts you son of a bitch' you do not feel pain. Makes perfect sense.

[the_Watchman]

Give every fetus one vote and Democrats will finally come to their defense!

[momfirst]

"But to properly experience pain, the mind must also be developed, something which cannot happen until after birth. The mind permits the subjectivity of pain, said the U.K. expert, who has previously served as an unpaid consultant to Planned Parenthood of Virginia and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, as well as the U.K.-based Pro-Choice Forum."

From another article on the same subject today - http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/04/14/hscout532137.html I need read no further....

[rlmorel]

You beat me to it. Is it the exposure to air that causes pain to be felt?

Or perhaps, Infants feel no pain. Huh. That will be news to MANY a parent...

[pnz1]

I read something that said babies first sensitivity to touch begins to form at 8 weeks gest. age.

[captain_dave]

Physicians once thought bleeding was beneficial and mercury had curative powers. They once thought that the Germ Theory of Disease was wrong, and public sanitation not a factor in the spread of disease.

A baby in the womb feels all the emotions that the mother feels. This has been established by skilled hypnotists when having their clients relive these moments. I have seen some of these experiences on video, in person, and as the hypnotist. (Clients report their experiences without guidance or prompting from the hypnotist aside from a general "what's happening", and are incidental to the original client complaint for the session)

[G Larry]

These authors are liars, because nobody is that stupid!

There is plenty of video evidence that the BABY does feel pain.

[rlmorel]

I personally think some of them should not be given something to make them unconscious anyway. Just my opinion.

[DustyMoment]

Hmmmmmm . . . . . . "research" tells us that plants feel pain. "Research" tells us that humans are responsible for "global warming". "Research tells us that fetuses feel no pain.

Methinks the BS level of the "research" is predicated by the organization funding it!!

[NautiNurse]

senior lecturer in psychology

I'm simply awestruck by these utterly impeccable credentials...

[pnz1]

The same report stated some babies react to the amnio test experience.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

What if a baby is born premature? Does it not become a human or feel pain until it serves its full time (9 1/2 months)?

[montomike]

He's a freakin' psychologist. What do they know about pain other than emotional pain? I'd at least be inclined to agree with a psychiatrist who at least has a medical degree.

Stick a pin in a baby in a womb and I will bet my life it moves in response. Imagine how it feels when it is being ripped apart in the womb and sucked into a vacuum jar.

[derllak]

I can only hope most people raise their kids to be smarter than to believe crap like this....otherwise we're in deep trouble.

[SaveTheChief]

What if a baby is born premature? Does it not become a human or feel pain until it serves its full time (9 1/2 months)?

That is an excellent point.