Help promote the Vigil For Life

The Vigil For Life is taking place on Saturday, 19th of January 2013. Can you help us promote this event?

• Share the Vigil For Life facebook page with your friends on facebook
• Let your friends and family know about the event
• Organise a bus from your area (call Denise on 087 266 8702 to make arrangements) 
• Volunteer to join a team in your area distributing leaflets to promote the event. (call Denise on 087 266 8702) 
• Tweet about the event (in the run-up and on the day) using the hashtag  #Vigil4Life  on twitter. 
• Set your facebook cover or profile photo to promote the event.
  
  

Unite For Life pro-life vigil - 19th January 2013 - save the date!

Ireland is on the brink of legalising abortion. The Government says it plans to legislate early in 2013, and abortions will then be carried out in Ireland for the first time. This is a truly chilling prospect. Unborn babies and their mothers need us to speak up for them at this critical time.

That's why we're asking YOU to join with thousands of others at the Unite For Life Vigil on January 19th, at Merrion Square in Dublin.

We all agree that pregnant women should receive all treatments necessary to safeguard their lives. However, those pushing for abortion are dishonestly blurring the distinction between necessary medical treatments and abortion.

Ireland, without abortion, is a world leader in safety for pregnant women. Yet, right now, we are closer to abortion here than ever before.

It is a defining moment for our country. Will YOU stand united to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves?  Can we count on you being there on the day? Your presence is vital. The situation could not be more grave.  

Transport to the vigil is being organised locally. For further information, please visit the Vigil for Life facebook page, the Vigil for Life website, contact Denise by telephone on 087 266 8702 or by email denise@prolifecampaign.ie

Posters will be provided on the day.   We look forward to seeing you there!

Government's proposal on abortion won't be and can't be restrictive - we will vigorously oppose it

Responding to the Government’s decision today to introduce abortion legislation based on the X case ruling, Cora Sherlock, spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign, said:

“The Government was always going to present any proposals to introduce abortion as “very restrictive”. But the reality is they simply won’t be and can’t be. The X case decision heard no medical evidence and contains no duty of care towards the baby so any such legislation proposed by the Government would for the first time introduce an abortion regime into this country in which the life of the baby could be directly and intentionally targeted for destruction. This is a chilling prospect – once the principle of protecting human life is conceded, it leads inevitably to wide-ranging abortion.

Everyone agrees women in pregnancy should receive whatever treatments are necessary to safeguard their lives, and as our world-class record in maternal safety shows, women already receive such outstanding care."
 

Pro Life Campaign supporters Áine and Stephanie at Dáil Éireann today

"The Pro Life Campaign will vigorously oppose the Government’s decision to introduce an abortion regime based on the X case ruling. While treating politicians with respect, we will mount a robust and sustained challenge to each and every element of the proposed legislation."

Legislation for X case would not be “restrictive” as members of the Government claim

The Government is expected to approve tomorrow its proposal to bring forward legislation for the X case judgment. It has been reported in recent days that the legislation to allow for abortion will be very restrictive and tightly controlled.

Commenting on the likely decision by the Cabinet tomorrow, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said:


“Claims that legislation for the X case is a compromise between pro-choice and pro-life sides is nothing more than a political ploy to make any legislation appear restrictive. The reality is, however, that any legislation for the X case would blur the distinction between life saving medical interventions in pregnancy and induced abortion, the sole aim of which is to intentionally end the life of the baby.

Once it is conceded that some human lives may be directly targeted there is no going back. Inevitably over time the grounds for abortion would be widened. Pro-choice advocates get this point. Sadly some senior members of Fine Gael don’t appear to.

Abortion advocates are correct in viewing legislation for the X case as a first step in achieving abortion on demand. They understand that once the principle of defending human life is conceded, the State forfeits any moral or ethical authority to put limits on the grounds for abortion in the future. In the coming weeks, the Pro Life Campaign will ensure that the public is made fully aware of what legislation for the X case would actually entail.”

PLC responds to Council of Europe Committee of Ministers calls for Ireland to ‘expedite’ abortion legislation

Today the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers issued a statement calling on Ireland  to ‘expedite’ bringing in abortion legislation. 

Responding to the Council's statement, Caroline Simons (Legal Advisor to the Pro Life Campaign) said:
"The Council of Europe statement suggests a lack of understanding by the Committee of Ministers as to the legal significance of the European Court ruling in ABC v Ireland. The decision does not oblige Ireland to introduce abortion.  It calls on us to clarify our position which is an entirely different matter. It is misleading for any person or group to suggest that abortion legislation is required."

"Despite the impression created in recent times, Ireland has an outstanding record in protecting women in pregnancy and is safer than most, if not all of the countries calling on us to introduce abortion." 


Coverage of the Council's statement:

in TheJournal.ie

in The Irish Times 

Enda, Keep Your Pro-Life Promise

by Dr. Joseph McCarroll
Chairman, Pro Life Campaign

The Unite for Life Vigil outside the Dáil in freezing, windy, rainy midwinter darkness on Tuesday evening had several political messages, messages so strong that the thousands who packed Molesworth Street and Kildare Street outside the Dáil left with hearts warmer than when they’d arrived, and sending a chill through the hearts of watching it from inside the Dáil.

The crowds packed Molesworth St. and flowed out onto Kildare St.

First, it was what it said on the can – a formal collaboration among all the pro-life groups – who at something under a week’s notice organised it. The political message of this is that the Government and the political parties have awakened a sense of urgency among the pro-life majority that has washed away past differences on tactics and brought to birth in their place a strong unity on strategy. 

The pro-life response to abortion plans is going to be more coherent and organised. The politicians pushing for abortion have awakened the sleeping giant of the pro-life community. The big problem that the politicians pushing abortion face just got bigger.

Second, when you consider the short space of time there was to get the word out, and for people who wanted to come to make the practical arrangements so they could come, the fact that the streets were crowded shows the passion, the seriousness of intent, the commitment that drove so many people to make sure they were there. That pro-life political commitment is now trained on each politician who votes to bring in abortion. Pro-life electors have elephantine memories. Politicians considering voting for abortion in the Oireachtas saw that their votes in there are going to cost them votes back home in the own constituency. The vote-cost of support for abortion in Leinster House just went up.

Third, like an icon made radiant by goldleaf, the vigil was rendered radiant by the extraordinary experiences shared by the two young mothers, Cliona and Liz, who spoke about their children. Cliona spoke about John Paul and how his short life had enriched the life of her family – he had anencephaly. And Liz spoke about the how her son John, born with no limbs, had enriched the life of her family. The warmth of these mothers speaking about their children and the love they brought into their lives was the heart of the Vigil. The only shadow was the willingness of some doctors to help them have their babies aborted.

The fourth message was the political message, as clear and sharp as a rapier - Enda Kenny, Keep your pro-life promise. The video shows it -  the banner with the words, “Enda Kenny Keep your pro-life promise”, while the crowd are chanting, “Enda Kenny, Keep your promise”, and the placards read, “Fine Gael, Keep your Promise”. The stuff of which democracy is made is the trust among the people that the politicians will keep the promises on the basis of which the people elected them. Enda Kenny, show us what stuff you are made of, keep your pro-life promise.

Ireland is safe, despite the propaganda

David Quinn, in the Irish Independent. On the Independent's site here. 

IN the debate about abortion we are constantly dealing with what can only be described as 'asymmetrical hysteria', that is we are only ever outraged by anti-abortion laws and their consequences and never by the consequences of pro-abortion laws.

The result of this 'asymmetrical hysteria' is that public opinion is constantly being pushed to favour more liberal abortion laws rather than more restrictive ones.

Indeed, we are conditioned to believe that laws against abortion are the result of irrational dogmas that are placing women's lives at risk.

Thus we now think that if only we were more like our more 'rational' next-door neighbour, Britain, Savita Halappanavar would be alive today.

In fact, it is impossible to know that, and certainly not before the completion of the investigation into her death.

In the meantime, what we do know is that the Irish maternal death rate is one of the very lowest in the world at roughly three women per 100,000. The British figure is four times higher at 12 per 100,000 and the US figure is eight times higher at 24 per 100,000.

How is it that Ireland without abortion is so much safer for pregnant women than Britain and America, which both have highly liberal abortion laws?

The above data has been obtained from 'Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2008', which has been developed by the World Health Organisation, the UN and the World Bank.

However, thanks to the highly tendentious coverage of the tragic case of Mrs Halappanavar, particularly by RTE, most Irish people probably believe that Ireland is a particularly dangerous place for women to have a baby.

This notion, now commonplace and gaining worldwide traction, is actually a gross calumny against our country.

Our politicians ought to defend the medical record of this country and point out that our maternal healthcare system is superb at bringing babies to full term without compromising the lives or health of their mothers.

We would also do well to point out how the dogmas behind the abortion laws of other countries cost lives.

For example, in Britain, how many babies are unnecessarily aborted because a doctor erroneously imagines that the only way to save the mother is to abort the baby?

What kind of dogma makes some of us think that 190,000 abortions in England and Wales each year is 'normal', meaning that one pregnancy in every four ends in a termination?

What dogma leads abortion clinics to think 'gendercide' is okay, namely the killing of an unborn child simply because it is the 'wrong' sex, usually a girl?

The 'Daily Telegraph' discovered in a sting operation earlier this year that sex-selective abortions take place in UK abortion clinics.

What kind of dogma thinks it is okay to abort a child simply because the child has Down's Syndrome or cystic fibrosis?

In Ireland, a service is now on offer which allows couples to have their embryos screened to ensure they are in no way 'defective'. This is eugenics and it is common practice today.

None of the scandals just listed ever causes anything like the outrage generated by the hard cases an anti-abortion law will cause from time to time.

There are two reasons for this. The first is that they do not attract anything like the same publicity and so most of us are completely unaware of them.

The second reason is a dogmatic attachment to the ideology of 'choice', which causes many of us to simply turn a blind eye to the innumerable scandals caused by abortion laws.

We must not allow ourselves to be conditioned by ceaseless one-sided propaganda into thinking our law on abortion is inhumane and unjust.

The truth is that our law with respect both to mother and child is far more humane than in other Western countries, including Britain, and we should be very proud of that.

Rotunda head: No confusion

A report in the Irish Examiner. 

A senior consultant has said he sees no evidence of confusion in medical ranks in Ireland over whether or not a woman can have an abortion if her life is at risk.

Dr Sam Coulter-Smith, master of the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin and consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, said it would be preferable to have legislation to bring clarity.

But he said that in his experience he has not seen confusion among doctors on whether a woman is entitled to an abortion on clinical grounds.

“No. Not in relation to where a mother’s health is at risk,” he said.

“I think most of us who work in obstetrics and gynaecology, there may be individual differences, but the majority would be of the view that if the health is such a risk that there is a risk of death and we are dealing with a foetus that is not viable, there is only one answer to that question, we bring the pregnancy to an end.”

Dr Coulter-Smith is also clinical professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin and has headed the Rotunda for the last three and a half years.

“It’s a complex area. There are a whole series of issues that need to be resolved,” he said.

Dr Coulter-Smith said he could not discuss Mrs Halappanavar’s death directly but that introducing laws would offer further clarity.

“This case probably does not have a lot to do with abortion laws,” he said.

“It is a clinical scenario – someone in the process of miscarriage and had infective complications as a result of that process, whether or not if the situation had been actively managed in the 24-36 hours proceeding the tragedy of the baby’s death, would that have changed anything? No-one can answer that.

“But from the medical point of view it would be nice to have clarity – what is and isn’t possible and feasible.

“What is reasonably clear is that in a position where senior clinicians feel a woman’s health and life is at risk then it is permissible in this country to end the pregnancy.

“There isn’t legislation but the issues that have been judged on have set a precedent. It would be nice if there was legislation.”

Ireland’s Medical Council regulations on abortion state that the procedure is illegal unless there is a real and substantial risk to the life (as distinct from the health) of the mother.

The Rotunda is one of the three main maternity hospitals in Dublin alongside Holles Street and the Coombe.

The Medical Council's Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners, states:

“Under current legal precedent, this exception includes where there is a clear and substantial risk to the life of the mother arising from a threat of suicide. You should undertake a full assessment of any such risk in light of the clinical research on this issue.

“It is lawful to provide information in Ireland about abortions abroad, subject to strict conditions. It is not lawful to encourage or advocate an abortion in individual cases.

“You have a duty to provide care, support and follow-up services for women who have an abortion abroad.

“In current obstetrical practice, rare complications can arise where therapeutic intervention (including termination of a pregnancy) is required at a stage when, due to extreme immaturity of the baby, there may be little or no hope of the baby surviving. In these exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to intervene to terminate the pregnancy to protect the life of the mother, while making every effort to preserve the life of the baby.”

Ireland's abortion laws: we need to get the facts straight

Dr. Tim Stanley writing in the Telegraph. Click here for the article on the Telegraph's site. 

This post is neither for nor against legalised abortion – it’s simply about laying out the facts of a very tragic story.

On October 21, Savita Halappanavar visited Galway University Hospital, Ireland. The 31-year-old dentist was 17 weeks pregnant and suffering terrible back pain. Savita was told that she was having a miscarriage, so she requested an abortion. The doctors denied her request because they said that they detected a foetal heartbeat and that Irish law ruled out a termination. Savita’s pain continued for three days and she eventually died of septicaemia.

Inevitably, this awful story has prompted demands for a rethink of Ireland’s abortion laws. That’s understandable and will almost certainly happen. Ireland has been liberalising for decades; Irishness and Catholic conservatism are no longer as synonymous as they once were. The European Court of Human Rights 2010 ruling on abortion gives Taoiseach Enda Kenny good legal grounds for a review of the law, and Kenny has branded himself as a critic of the privileged status of Catholicism in Ireland. Change will probably come.

But some would dispute whether or not Savita’s death is an appropriate catalyst for that change. In Ireland, it actually is legal to induce a birth when a mother’s life is at risk. Eilís Mulroy notes the following:

The decision to induce labour early would be fully in compliance with the law and the current guidelines set out for doctors by the Irish Medical Council. Those guidelines allow interventions to treat women where necessary, even if that treatment indirectly results in the death to the baby. If they aren't being followed, laws about abortion won't change that. The issue then becomes about medical protocols being followed in hospitals and not about the absence of legal abortion in Ireland.

Because Savita's case is under investigation, Mulroy asks questions but, wisely, avoids inferring answers: why, in this instance, did the hospital not induce (as it could and should) and is its decision not to induce reflective of a wider institutional failure?

It is possible that new legislation is necessary to clarify the existing medical consensus. But it does not logically follow that Ireland needs a total rethink of its entire approach to abortion that brings it in line with Europe’s essentially pro-choice culture. Aside from the specific medical case for abortion in Savita’s situation, inducing labour to save her life would not necessarily have conflicted with Catholic moral teaching, either. In 1951, Pope Pius XII explicitly ruled that such a procedure “can be lawful.” If it is true, as the Halappanavar family claims, that the Galway doctors said they would not provide a termination because "this is a Catholic country", then they got their theology unforgivably wrong.

Savita Halappanavar’s death demands investigation and answers. Aside from giving justice to her family, the implications of any investigation for the wider abortion debate are so wide-ranging that it is crucial that we get the facts unbiased and 100 per cent accurate. Alas, such objectivity is not always applied when it comes to media reporting of the Irish and/or Catholic approach to abortion. Indeed, much of it is misleading and unhelpful.

Media rushes to judge but we don't know facts

The British media, in tandem with the Irish, is running with the 'woman dies because she was denied abortion' story headline.

It's not surprising that the likes of 'The Guardian' would give the story prominence because 'The Guardian' is fiercely pro-abortion.

In Britain it fits in with a certain stereotype of this country to believe that women are dying here because of our lingering adherence to Catholic medical ethics.

However, even the more pro-life 'Daily Telegraph' and 'Daily Mail' have given the story prominence.That would be justified if we knew that Savita Halappanavar did indeed die because she was denied an abortion, but that is not why she died.

We know this because if there was a need to end her pregnancy in order to save her life, then the hospital was free to do that. Nothing in law was preventing the hospital from doing so.

And to be absolutely clear, ending a woman's pregnancy prematurely is not necessarily the same thing as abortion.

For example, inducing labour where it is necessary to save the life of the mother is not the same as abortion and Irish hospitals induce labour in these circumstances on a regular basis.

From the available facts, we know that Mrs Halappanavar was miscarrying and that she died within days of being admitted to hospital from septicemia and E Coli ESBL.

We do not know for certain whether ending the pregnancy upon her arrival in the hospital would have saved her life, but to repeat, if medical staff needed to do that they could have done it.

Therefore the 'woman dies because she was denied abortion' storyline is simply not true. The 'woman dies because of Catholic opposition to abortion' is also not true.

We simply do not know for certain at this stage whether Mrs Halappanavar would have died no matter what was done. This is what the investigation into her death will ascertain.

And we must also repeat for the umpteenth time that Ireland has one of the lowest maternal death rates in the world. It is lower than the British rate where abortion is available on demand.

In addition, it is necessary to remind ourselves that sometimes women die because of botched abortions in legal settings. Indeed, last year a doctor – Phanuel Dartey – was struck off in Britain because he nearly killed an Irish woman while performing an abortion on her in a Marie Stopes Clinic in the UK.

This story received remarkably little publicity here in Ireland. RTE did not cover it at all, whereas it has given the Savita Halappanavar story wall-to-wall coverage. Why this discrepancy?

And by what journalistic calculus did RTE decide to give so little coverage to the revelation by this newspaper that some staff at pregnancy crisis agencies in Ireland are giving women dangerous and illegal advice? It would be good to know.

There has been a tremendous and unseemly rush to judgment in this case.

It is being used to advance the argument that Ireland must change its law on abortion before we know the full facts.

It is also being used to falsely and unjustly give the impression that Ireland is an unsafe place for pregnant women when the opposite is true.

The bottom line is that we cannot draw any decisive conclusions about what happened in this tragic case until we do know all the facts.

We won't let women die, says professor

Eilish O'Reagan, Health Correspondent of the Irish Independent. You can read the article on the Independent's website by clicking here. 

A LEADING obstetrician has said doctors do intervene to save the life of a pregnant woman, even if it means the loss of a baby.

Prof Fionnuala McAuliffe said obstetricians who were caring for pregnant women in life-threatening situations were working without specific legislation – but there was "no evidence they are letting people die".

She said obstetricians believed they had the freedom to intervene to save a woman's life, even if it meant the loss of the foetus.

Prof McAuliffe, who works in the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, Dublin, said from time to time doctors came across pregnant women who had uncontrollable blood pressure or severe pre-eclampsia, which can lead to severe complications.

"If uncontrollable blood pressure continues, the woman could have a stroke, a brain haemorrhage or die. The only effective way of (avoiding) that is to deliver the baby," she told theIrish Independent.

"If it happens after 24 weeks there is some chance the baby could live. If it is under 24 weeks it will not survive."

Prof McAuliffe, who is spokesperson for the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said obstetricians would welcome legislative clarity.

While the Medical Council's code of ethics states that doctors can intervene to terminate a pregnancy to protect the life of the mother, the institute has not provided any specific guidelines.

Most patients who come to a maternity hospital with threatened miscarriage would want to do everything they could to continue the pregnancy, Prof McAuliffe said.

She said: "the outcomes for pregnant women in Ireland are among the best in the world. We have excellent maternity services. There is no evidence that we are letting patients die to prolong the pregnancy."

Another leading obstetrician, who did not want to be named, said it was his view that doctors were legally protected if they intervened to save the life of a pregnant woman.

Referring to a report that pregnant Savita Halappanavar developed septicaemia, he said a woman could appear relatively well and collapse quickly.

"An infection can creep up on you very quickly without showing great signs. Infection is something that used to kill large numbers of women. It was the greatest cause of maternal mortality.

"It spreads from the vaginal tract up into the womb where the baby is and that is an ideal place for bugs to grow because it is warm and moist."

Rare

A case where a mother developed septicaemia was quite rare and even big maternity hospitals would only see maybe one every two years.

He added: "In my view it is very clear if the mother's life is at risk due to pregnancy continuing you have a choice to bring it to an end. It's very difficult to create guidelines for every individual scenario."

Asked how doctors would respond in the case of a woman who was miscarrying and was in pain, he said that she would be given pain relief.

Dr Peter Boylan, a former master of Holles Street, said doctors would welcome more guidance on when to save the life of a pregnant woman in grey areas where the threat was not dramatic.

Eilís Mulroy: Pro-choice side must not hijack this terrible event

THE case of Savita Halappanavar should make us all stop and reflect. Anyone who shares a concern for the protection of life extends their deepest sympathies to the Halappanavar family.

The question that needs to be asked is: was Ms Halappanavar treated in line with existing obstetrical practice in Ireland? In this kind of situation the baby can be induced early (though is very unlikely to survive). The decision to induce labour early would be fully in compliance with the law and the current guidelines set out for doctors by the Irish Medical Council

Those guidelines allow interventions to treat women where necessary, even if that treatment indirectly results in the death to the baby. If they aren't being followed, laws about abortion won't change that.

The issue then becomes about medical protocols being followed in hospitals and not about the absence of legal abortion in Ireland.

Professor John Bonnar, then chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, spoke about the matter to the All Party Oireachtas Committee's Fifth Report on Abortion, saying: "In current obstetrical practice, rare complications can arise where therapeutic intervention is required at a stage in pregnancy when there will be little or no prospect for the survival of the baby, due to extreme immaturity.

"In these exceptional situations failure to intervene may result in the death of both the mother and baby. We consider that there is a fundamental difference between abortion carried out with the intention of taking the life of the baby, for example for social reasons, and the unavoidable death of the baby resulting from essential treatment to protect the life of the mother."

With this medical practice Ireland, thankfully, has one of the lowest death rates of mothers in pregnancy anywhere in the world.

Our generally excellent record on maternal care doesn't of course help Praveen Halappenavar, who is today dealing with the loss of his beautiful wife and the baby they expected together. Yet this terrible situation should not be used to push an ideological agenda to introduce abortion. Any debate on the issue of abortion should be carried out in a reasonable manner. It does no service to Savita's memory to use her tragic death as an impetus for legislation that is bad for both women and their babies.

Any investigation into the circumstances surrounding Savita's death will happen against the backdrop of another investigation into the practices of health professionals when dealing with pregnant women in Ireland.

As a result of an undercover investigation published by the Irish Independent last month, the HSE has launched an investigation into crisis pregnancy counselling services in Ireland that were found to be giving illegal and life-threatening advice.

The Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children has also asked for answers from the HSE. The undercover investigation was carried out at 11 state-funded Crisis Pregnancy Counselling services and revealed that some pregnancy counsellors in certain services, including the Irish Family Planning Association, were giving women dangerous and illegal advice, including telling them they could hide their abortions from their own doctors -- a practice that can endanger lives.

Incredibly, some counsellors advised women how to illegally smuggle an abortion pill into Ireland and take it without medical supervision.

A prompt investigation must take place into the death of Savita Halappanavar to best serve her memory and ensure a tragedy like this does not reoccur. The investigation into the dangerous practices being employed by some state-funded crisis pregnancy counsellors must also happen.

See this article on the Independent website here. 

Death as a result of infection during miscarriage rare

Dr. Muiris Houston, writing in the Irish Times. Article on the Times' website here. 

Background: A death as a result of an infection during a miscarriage is a rare event in the developed world. Referred to as a septic abortion or miscarriage, most cases are due to infection with bacteria such asE.coli or streptococci.

In a more severe form that spreads to the wall of the uterus, the patient will usually have a fever and a raised pulse.

The initial management of a suspected septic abortion involves taking a swab from the vagina and the neck of the womb. If the woman’s temperature goes above 38.4 degrees Celsius then blood is taken and sent to the laboratory to see if the bugs have spread to the bloodstream.

A combination of antibiotics is started even before the results of these tests are available. However, it is possible that despite the treatment the patient will go into medical shock, their blood pressure drops and a serious complication called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may ensue.

In this situation it is normal practice to wait until the patient has stabilised before surgically removing the contents of the uterus.

On rare occasions, a hysterectomy may be needed if the infection remains uncontrolled.

A miscarriage is defined as loss of pregnancy in first 24 weeks of gestation.

There are different types of miscarriage including:

* a threatened miscarriage with mild symptoms of bleeding and usually little or no pain. The neck of the womb remains closed;

* an incomplete miscarriage occurs if either the conception sac or the placenta remains in the womb;

* an inevitable miscarriage occurs with heavy bleeding, and the neck of the womb is now open. If the bleeding is severe the mother may slip into medical shock.

In an inevitable miscarriage, even though a foetal heart beat is present, the pregnancy cannot continue to term.

With the neck of the womb already open, the woman’s body prepares to naturally evacuate her womb.

However, with the neck of the womb open, there is an opportunity for bugs such as E.coli to travel from the vagina into the womb before multiplying and infecting the inside wall of the uterus.

Infection can then spread to the woman’s bloodstream, leading to shock and the onset of DIC, which occurs when the normal functioning of blood cells is progressively impaired, leading to multi-organ failure.

Medical teams focus first on pregnant woman's health, obstetricians say

Paul Cullen, Health Correspondent of the Irish Times. Read the article on the Times' website here. 

The main focus of medical teams treating a seriously ill pregnant woman is on maintaining the health of the mother, according to leading obstetricians.

Although there are no fixed rules governing practice in such cases, interventions to deal with the cause of the illness are not considered a therapeutic termination of pregnancy, one Dublin-based practitioner told The Irish Times.

In his hospital, intervention took place in cases where a mother’s life was in danger such as was required by the maternal interest, he said.

The cause of this intervention could relate to an independent condition such as cancer or a condition arising during pregnancy but in either case this intervention was not considered a therapeutic termination of pregnancy.

In all cases, the medical options would be discussed in detail with the mother where this was possible.

Septicaemia was an unpredictable event which could happen acutely and prove devastating for the affected person, he said. The existence of a foetal heartbeat could lead to a situation where it might not be considered that septicaemia was a possible complication.

Voluntary hospital 

Another obstetrician working in a voluntary hospital said that in situations where a pregnancy would never attain viability and the mother was critically ill, the main concentration of the medical team treating the woman would be on maintaining her health.

“In such situations, you expedite delivery,” he said. However, problems such as septicaemia could “creep up” very quickly and have devastating effects. Infection was one of the major causes of maternal death, he added.

“Decisions like this are usually clinically led. It’s easier in voluntary hospitals with clear clinical leadership. Where governance is more complex and bureaucratic it can be harder to get decisions.”

Under the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in 1992, it is lawful to terminate a pregnancy if it is established “as a matter of probability” that there is a real and substantial risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of the mother.

The Medical Council advises doctors to undertake a full assessment of any risk “in light of the clinical research on this issue”.

According to its guidelines: “In current obstetrical practice, rare complications can arise where therapeutic intervention (including termination of a pregnancy) is required at a stage when, due to extreme immaturity of the baby, there may be little or no hope of the baby surviving.”

“In these exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to intervene to terminate the pregnancy to protect the life of the mother, while making every effort to preserve the life of the baby.”

Maternal death is defined by the World Health Organisation as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy.

Death is due either to indirect causes or to a cause that can be directly linked to the pregnancy.

Ireland’s rate of maternal death, at six per 100,000, is extremely low by international standards.

Senators discuss crisis pregnancy counselling service scandal

The scandal involving Irish crisis pregnancy counselling services giving dangerous and illegal advice to women was discussed yesterday at the first sitting of the Seanad since the story broke.

The undercover investigation which revealed the information was recently published by the Irish Independent.  The investigation carried out by a number of women showed how IFPA and HSE-run services were giving life-threatening advice to women.

In the Seanad yesterday, Senator Marc MacSharry called for an investigation into the wrongdoing.  He said

 "Irrespective of one's position on this issue -whether one is pro-life, pro-choice, pro-debate -- very serious questions have arisen as a result of the investigative reporting by Independent Newspapers,"

He continued; 

"In my view it warrants the minister's personal attention and the Government should oversee this investigation.

Senator Catherine Noone said

"I join my colleagues in expressing horror at the alleged dangerous or illegal advice provided by certain pregnancy counselling organisations in this country.  As a woman, it is horrific to think women are being advised to withhold information from their general practitioners, who would find it difficult to advise their patients properly without full information".

The call for an investigation into the wrongdoings by the IFPA and others was supported by numerous other Senators including Senators Ronan Mullen, Paschal Mooney, Paul Coghlan, Jim D'Arcy, Fidelma Healy Eames, Labhras O' Murchu, Paul Bradford, Michael Mullins and Fergal Quinn.

The Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children was also due to consider this matter today.


Read the coverage of yesterday's Seanad exchanges in today's Irish Independent here

Read the coverage of the matter in today's Irish Times here

Read this story on our website here

Pro Life Campaign calls for independent inquiry after shocking revelations about IFPA and HSE clinics

The revelations from an undercover investigation into taxpayer funded crisis pregnancy agencies, published in today's Irish Independent newspaper, reveal “a widespread culture of disregard for women’s lives and health” according to Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign.

She said: “Regardless of where one stands on abortion, the findings raise huge issues about women’s lives and safety. They also raise very serious questions about lax governance in the agencies.”

Dr Cullen called for “an independent public inquiry into how such professional malpractice has been allowed to go unnoticed and uncorrected by the body legally tasked with monitoring them."

“Since the Health Service Executive (HSE) are themselves implicated in the failure of proper governance of the crisis pregnancy agencies, they are part of the problem and obviously cannot be allowed to supervise the investigation,” she said.

Dr Cullen continued: “Particularly scandalous is the evidence from a number of Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) clinics, an affiliate organisation of the IPPF, that women were advised to conceal their abortions from their own doctors including in the event of medical complications from the abortion procedure. One has to ask why this type of dangerous medical advice is being given to women?   Does it have something to do with protecting the reputation of abortion providers from any negative publicity, at the expense of women's health and well-being?”

 “The legislation (Abortion Information Act, 1995)  under which these agencies are in receipt of taxpayers money mandates a public policy of promoting alternatives to abortion. But the evidence emerging from this undercover investigation suggests a widespread culture of disregard for, if not opposition to that public policy,” Dr Cullen concluded.

See the Irish Independent stories below

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/revealed-the-abortion-advice-that-could-put-lives-at-risk-3276226.html

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/shocking-breach-of-good-medical-practice-says-rotunda-chief-3276112.html

Move by Marie Stopes 'deplorable' says Pro Life Campaign

Commenting on the news that Marie Stopes intends to open an abortion clinic in Belfast, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said:

"It would be deplorable if Marie Stopes were allowed to impose an abortion regime on Northern Ireland in this manner. Clearly the official guidelines in Northern Ireland setting out the distinction between medical treatments in pregnancy and abortion need to be strengthened in light of what is being proposed."

She continued:

"Marie Stopes is in the business of providing abortions and has no regard for the rights of unborn children throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy. They are also in complete denial when it comes to the peer reviewed studies highlighting the negative long term consequences of abortion for some women. I am confident that the elected representatives in Northern Ireland will move fast to stop Marie Stopes from clearing the way for abortion."

Excellent 4 minute video on current Irish abortion debate

Check out this great new video on YouTube.  It addresses some of the key questions raised in the abortion debate in Ireland and features very moving personal stories.  

Click below to watch and then please share the video on facebook, twitter and other social networks. 

National Women’s Council of Ireland no longer a mainstream representative group for Irish women

In a statement yesterday, Pro Life Campaign Education Spokesperson, Ruth Cullen said 

"The NWCI [National Women's Council of Ireland] can no longer call themselves a mainstream representative group for Irish women." 

Dr. Cullen's comments follow the group's calls for abortion to be legalised and legislated for in this country.

The National Women's Council of Ireland damaged their credibility in this area most notably with their recent attack on Women Hurt, a group of women speaking out about how their abortion experiences caused them suffering and hurt. 

"Only last year the NWCI launched a scathing attack on Women Hurt,  for simply launching a billboard campaign drawing attention to abortion regret and the stories of women seeking hope and healing after abortion."

Dr. Cullen went on to point out that  the NWCI use polling data which makes no distinction between medical treatment during pregnancy, and the intentional targeting of the unborn child's life: 

"In citing public support for abortion today, it is interesting to note that the NWCI quoted a recent poll which made no distinction between necessary medical interventions in pregnancy and induced abortion which targets the life of the baby. Polls that do not make this ethical distinction are meaningless in the current abortion debate."

Pro Life Campaign National Seminar 2012 a great success!

Last Saturday’s Pro Life Campaign National Seminar 2012 was a big success. Over 400 people joined us in the Alexander Hotel to hear some top class talk and welcome our key-note speaker Matt Mooney from the US, father of baby Eliot Hartman Mooney and creator of 99 Balloons (the You Tube sensation about Eliot’s short life). If you haven’t already watched 99 Balloons you can view it here. 

Anne-Maree Quinn, Joe McCarroll, Matt Mooney (of 99Balloons.org and Eliot's dad) and Cora Sherlock at the PLC National Seminar 2012

 Professor William Binchy and Ms Caroline Simons updated attendees on the current legal and political situation in Ireland regarding abortion. Professor Patricia Casey outlined the findings of key empirical research on the link between abortion and adverse mental health consequences for women. Dr Berry Kiely addressed the ethical distinction between abortion and necessary medical interventions in pregnancy, an issue that causes so much confusion in the public debate.

We thank everyone who made the Seminar such a success and look forward to working together in the coming weeks to keep abortion out of Ireland. If you were present and have any comments you would like to make (positive or negative!) be sure to drop us a quick email - admin@prolifecampaign.ie

It was nice to see that the event also trended on twitter!

Thank you for your continued support. We will keep the pressure on and keep you posted on any important developments in the coming weeks.

Excellent letter in the Connaught Telegraph

Sir,
In a time when politicians get criticised for following the party line without question, I was very pleased that some members of Fine Gael stood up recently and said they were not going to accept abortion.
I'm referring to this month's meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party when a number of Fine Gael representatives challenged the Minister for Health and vowed to vote against abortion legislation.
I was especially glad to see Mayo Fine Gael TD John O'Mahony listed among those who spoke up on this issue.
Based on his defense of the unborn so far I would have no difficulty either voting for him or asking others to vote for him in a future election.
While it seems that Ireland remains an overwhelmingly pro-life country, according to consistent Millward Brown Lansdowne opinion polling, there does seem to be bias among the national media that favours legislating for abortion.
Over 79 per cent of people in Mayo want Fine Gael to keep their pre-election promise. That is considerably more than the 65 per cent that voted for Fine Gael in the last election.
In the same election the pro-abortion Labour party got less than five per cent of the vote. Clearly the people of Mayo support women who are pregnant and they want to see the law reflect this.
I was shocked to see that some member of the Labour party were critical of the Fine Gael TDs and senators. The fact that the Fine Gael party made a pro-life commitment to the Pro Life Campaign prior to the general election is laudable and the fact the Fine Gael deputies feel that they should honour their promise is something Fine Gael should be proud of.
The many arguments that are presented for abortion in Ireland, that it is available in Britain, that is necessary to save the life of pregnant mothers, etc., are all shallow and easily refuted. Women in Ireland receive all necessary medical treatment, even if it indirectly results in the death of the unborn child. This is not abortion because it is not a deliberate attack on the unborn child.
It continues to be a tragedy that Irish women travel for abortions and it's a scandal that women do so because they do not feel they have adequate supports in Ireland.
I hope our politicians will continue to see the need to offer women more and better support services when they are faced with a crisis pregnancy.
Without the right to life, all other rights are meaningless. I congratulate the Fine Gael deputies on their stance and hope that the rest of the Fine Gael party follows suit.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Ryan
Castlebar

Appointment of abortion campaigner as Director General of HSE sends wrong message

Today Tony O'Brien was appointed the new Director General of the HSE by The Minister for Health James Reilly.  Mr O'Brien was previously the Chief Executive of the Irish Family Planning Association and a leading campaigner for abortion in Ireland.

Commenting on the Minister for Health’s latest appointment Cora Sherlock, Deputy Chairperson of the Pro Life Campaign, said:

“Ever since the Clare Daly Bill on abortion, Minister Reilly has been effectively relying on the speaking notes of the pro-abortion movement rather than defending Fine Gael’s pre-election pro-life commitments.

Now he has appointed someone as Director General of the HSE who has spent most of his career campaigning for abortion on demand in Ireland. The political message sent by this appointment is unmistakable. Whether it’s the issue or the optics, clearly Minister Reilly doesn’t get it.

Of more concern, however, to pro-life supporters is the manner in which the Expert Group process initiated by the Minister is descending into farce.

Both Minister Reilly and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch have already made public statements pre-empting its findings and it will come as no surprise if it reports back with a narrow list of options all advocating abortion. If this happens, it will have nothing to do with women’s health or the right to life and everything to do with politics.”