Chai Brady
Pro-life campaigners have said the Government must listen to families who carried to term babies with life-limiting conditions after the tragic case emerged of a couple who aborted a baby that appears to have been perfectly healthy after an initial test indicated it had a so-called ‘fatal foetal abnormality”.
Eilís Mulroy of the Pro-Life Campaign said she hoped this “awfully sad and tragic outcome for the baby” would lead to greater openness on the part of the Minister for Health Simon Harris to listen to families who’ve had to deal with these situations.
During the abortion referendum he refused to meet any such families.
An external review is to be carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Britain – a body that is strongly pro-choice – following a complaint by the couple regarding the incident that occurred at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street.
They were told their much-wanted baby had Edwards Syndrome, better known as Trisomy18, after two tests where done.
The results of a third test, indicating the baby was healthy, came back a fortnight later, after the termination had taken place.
Eilís Mulroy of the Pro-Life Campaign said: “The reluctance of the Government to listen to the perspectives and experiences of families in these situations hasn’t changed since the referendum.
“I sincerely hope after yesterday evening’s reported tragedy there will be a greater openness on the part of the Minister for Health to listen to these families instead of shutting out contributions that don’t fit in with the Government’s narrow focus to date in this whole area.”
Vicky Wall of Every Life Counts said that the revelation was profoundly shocking and absolutely heartbreaking.
“We warned that abortion would become an expectation where a severe or life-limiting condition was suspected and now this family’s baby has been aborted. Nothing will bring that baby back, it’s just so devastating,” she said.
Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke this morning Master of the Rotunda Hospital Prof. Fergal Malone admitted that there was also another case in the Rotunda where the initial pregnancy test indicated a so-called fatal foetal abnormality, whereas further testing indicated the baby was healthy.
In this this case the woman waited for confirmation there was no fatal foetal abnormality.