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Last Visited: 8/30/2009
Writing in the Family Research Council's website Dr. Mary L. Davenport, M.D., FACOG, observed that following the murder of Kansas abortionist George Tiller on May 31, 2009, and the subsequent announcement of the closing of Tiller's facility, public attention has again focused on the issue of late-term abortion.
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But Dr. Davenport asks if late-term abortion is ever really necessary, questioning whether the demise of a facility where late-term abortions were performed leave a "void" that is harmful to women.
Referring to a statement by Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, who admitted in 1997 that the vast majority of partial-birth abortions were performed on healthy mothers and babies, Dr. Davenport explains that "contrary to the assertion of abortion rights supporters that late- term abortion is performed for serious reasons, surveys of late abortion patients confirm that the vast majority occur because of delay in diagnosis of pregnancy.
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"Most of Tiller's abortions conformed to the generally elective character of these late-term procedures," writes Davenport.
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Even in the most serious circumstances - fatal fetal abnormalities - writes Davenport, there is no good reason to abort the child.
As an alternative to abortion for fatal birth defects, Dr. Davenport proposes a perinatal hospice, which involves continuing the pregnancy until labor begins and giving birth normally, in a setting of comfort and support until natural death of the child occurs.
Dr. Davenport cites the case of Karen Santorum, a nurse and the wife of former Senator Rick Santorum, who was faced with the prospect of her own son, Gabriel, being born with a fatal birth defect.
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Dr. Davenport concludes that "although serious threats to health can occur, there is always a life- affirming way to care for mother and baby, no matter how bleak the prognosis.