The picture made it to the front page of newspapers. A heart broken expectant mother, weeping as her husband consoles her.
After Niketa and Haresh Mehta's petition to abort their unborn child at 26 weeks was turned down by the Bombay High Court, the debate rages. Should parents have the right to get rid of a life…that at 26 weeks is a little individual?
At 26 weeks, the foetus, around 12 inches from head to toe, and weighing about 450-600 grams, has a normal amount of muscle on the legs and arms and exhibits a whole range of typical baby behaviour and moods, including scratching, smiling, crying, hiccuping and sucking.
It jumps in response to loud sounds and even reacts to bright light aimed at the uterus, indicating optic nerve function. Studies indicate that the foetus can respond to touch at this stage.Developmental neurobiologists say that at 26 weeks, the foetus can feel pain. If the foetus is aborted at this stage, it may feel pain.
How then, can a mother, who harbours the life within her, even imagine wanting to abort the child?
The debate is that the baby “may be” born with a congenital heart problem that will not only decrease the quality of the baby’s life but will also put immense pressure on the parents, emotionally and financially.
But.
Ask couples who do not have a child for known or unknown medical reasons, those who put themselves through the repeated torture of IVF, spend lakhs of rupees trying to have a baby, is it a fair choice to abort a child that “may” be born with a defect? A child that is already more than half its way towards being born? Isn't the risk worth taking?
Is it because the pressure of ‘perfection’ is getting so deeply ingrained in our society that we cannot imagine having a ‘less-than-perfect’ child?
Or are we getting so materialistic that we are worried over a future cost the child may incur on us with respect to its medical bills that we don’t mind aborting it? What would have happened had the child had a healthy birth and developed a medical condition later on? Would the parents have disowned the child?
On the other hand, as parents, who with two perfectly normal and healthy children also succumb to the pressure of raising them, can we condemn the couple who may have to raise a baby that will never be healthy?
Whether we stand on a high moral ground and take a stand or empathise with the mother whose dream of a healthy baby has been shattered, there can be no end to this debate.
I applaud the bravery of parents who nurture, look after and above all, HOPE for their children afflicted with Down’s syndrome, autism and a host of such disabilities. It takes courage and fortitude.
5 comments:
When I read the papers today, I was shocked to read a mom wanting to abort her baby she has been carrying close to 5 months because she came to know the baby has congenital heart disease.
My question to the mom was the same as yours: What if the baby develops the heart problem later after being born? Will the mom dispose the baby off?
But then again, Isn't it the parents' decision? and Isn't everyone entitled to some kind of individual decisions esp. in such cases where its confirmed the child will never get a normal healthy life? Will the law that oppose her decision today fight for the disabled child's rights tommorow if required, will it be there to fight against any social stigma or deprivation the child may face later on?
Is aborting a 26 weeks foetus with congenital heart problem equivalent to commiting a murder?
Some practical questions that needs thinking. Really applaud brave parents who gave their all to raise their disable child.
Maybe the world needs more examples of such brave parents.
I have always wondered..are parents who raise a disabled child..really doing the right thing? what happens after they are no more? isn't it unfair to expect siblings to take up the responsibility? in cases where one is sure that the baby will be affected with down's syndrome and other such disablities...I think it is better to terminate the pregnancy...though it will be a very tough choice to make.
I go with Namita. Coming back on this later.
http://anonymouslyyours.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
Please do read this.
Something I have been reading a lot these days, and preferred to stay from writing or commneting on any of these. Well Sis I do have some doubts, First thing... I do have a doubt on what kind of society we're living now.
The law didnt allow the doctors, The doctors couldnt, but the media did what the law didnt wnat and the doctor couldnt.
Atlast she had a miscarriage..
The media did it!!! Thanks!!!
What rights does a woman has over her child? sounds good! talking on ethical and humanitarian grounds.. It is a legal crime, a sin and a brutal act to kill a 26 week old foetus, but its not considered even a bit wrong to torment, abuse, ignore, make fun of child who are slightly different, what the Diffrently abled children, mentally differently developed children face in our country!!! is far worse taht those aborted unborn kids..
At times, It pains to see, listen,hear or read about them,, but only at times, the true pain of bringing scuh a child to this world truely and rightfully belongs only to the mother who is shattered in her own world.. Its a pain only a mother can understand...
And Media!! please stop making hue and cry over this.. Its between a mother and a mother( The god) as Shoba de, writes," God must be a mother"
Please read Erma Bombeck, if you ever come across. WHy god made mothers? and what it means to be a mother of a abused kid??
Will send you soon..
Hi everyone.. I agree with all of you. Like I said in the post, there is just no end to the debate...and now the lady even lost the baby!
The less said about Media the better...
Post a Comment