Fetal Pain Study Debunked

Special Report - July 29, 2010
The Family Research Council (FRC) has released a new report on fetal pain in response to recent reports from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) that argue that unborn children cannot feel pain before 24 weeks into a pregnancy. Jeanne Monahan of FRC wrote “The Science of Fetal Pain” in response to RCOG’s “Fetal Awareness” and “Termination of Pregnancy” studies that were released on June 24, 2010. The RCOG studies claim that “A fetus cannot feel pain before 24 weeks” gestation and that “The fetus is in a state of unconsciousness in the womb.” Monahan argues that, “RCOG is using a faulty definition of pain” and “is attempting to dehumanize the baby; to make abortion appear less awful.”

The RCOG studies argue that a lack of “fully formed” connections in the unborn child’s brain prevent the baby from feeling pain. However, FRC’s report points out that “Experts in fetal pain development (who were not consulted for this report) previously refuted the idea that the cortex needs to be fully developed for an unborn baby to feel pain.” As early as 18 weeks, “babies respond to invasive procedures with an elevated heart rate and secretion of stress hormones.” Additionally, some children “are born without fully developed cortexes,” and still respond to stimuli. Finally, according to the FRC report, “At 20-30 weeks, the human being has the highest number of pain receptors per square inch, more than any other time in development.”

Monahan notes that, “The RCOG is attempting to dehumanize the baby; to make abortion appear less awful, but the truth is that it is a violent and painful procedure for the infant and the mother.” She goes on, “The humanness of the unborn child is not contingent on its capacity for pain. Whether or not an unborn child can feel pain is irrelevant to the respect that an unborn person deserves.” According to Monahan, an unborn child’s right to life and respect stems from the fact that “From the moment of conception, all the DNA that any fully-functioning adult possesses belongs to the embryo. All that differs is the level of development (intellectual, physiological, etc.). Using the criteria of the ACOG, anyone who lacks full functionality—a Down’s Syndrome child, a man missing a leg, a woman having suffered a mastectomy—can be anesthetized such that he/she is inured to pain and then in turn can be subject to whatever ills desired by the stronger human.”

Related articles:
Fetal Pain Bill Revived In Congress - August 14, 2007
Fetal Pain Bill Reintroduced In U.S. Senate - January 25, 2007
U.S. House Fails To Pass Fetal Pain Bill - December 7, 2006

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