In Quebec, late abortions “worry” doctors

Publié le 2 Nov, 2016

The Quebec College of Physicians is “worried” by the way in which late abortions are carried out in the province. It has created a working party to assess the current situation in medical establishments.

 

The decision was taken after a study was published in the NeonatalogyJournal. Led by a scientist at the National Institute for Public Health  (INSPQ), this study shows that a non-negligible number of abortions “carried out at a late stage in pregnancy lead to accidental live births” (see avortement tardif et infanticide : une sage-femme témoigne – late abortion and infanticide – views of a midwife).

 

The study adds that the phenomenon is sufficiently significant to “perceptibly increase Quebec’s infant mortality rate, which includes all children born alive including those who die shortly after birth”.

 

The authors raise questions, emphasising the urgent need to improve clinical practices in the case of late abortion: “How are these children managed? Is palliative care provided if they are not resuscitated? Are they admitted to neonatal units or do they die in the delivery room? Are the parents informed if the foetus survives? ”

 

Sources: 

La Press, Marc Thibodeau (14/10/2016)

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