X Factor Contestent Defies doctors to give birth to healthy baby son

Australian X Factor contestant Pamela Cook is an inspiring woman. Diagnosed with breast cancer whilst 16 weeks pregnant, she was advised to abort her pregnancy but refused to do so.  Baby son Zion was born healthy and Pamela was treated successfully for her cancer.

To celebrate and in an effort to embrace every opportunity life gives, Pamela entered the Australian X Factor and during her audition told her amazing story. She also gave an excellent rendition of Kelly Clarkson song 'Because of You'.

To hear Pamela's inspiring story and her audition, watch the X Factor youtube video below

Babies feel pain at 35 weeks gestation according to new study

Last week a study was published which proves that the unborn child can feel pain from 35 weeks.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology. Researchers from Univeristy College London observed 46 babies some of whom were born prematurely in an effort to find ways to more effectively treat newborns.  The scientists measured electrical brain activity while the babies underwent the standard newborn blood test where the blood sample is collected from the baby's heel.  They found that from 35 weeks of development, neural activity in the brain slowly changes from an immature state to an almost adult-like state suggesting that the baby can process pain as a separate feeling from touch.

Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi, who was the lead author of the research paper suggested it was possible that babies felt pain before even 35 weeks.  He said  ‘In very young brains all stimulations are followed by 'bursts' of activity, but at a critical time in development babies start to respond with activity specific to the type of stimulation…..We cannot say that before this change in brain activity they don't feel pain."

Research fellow Dr. Rebeccah Slater said "Premature babies who are younger than 35 weeks have similar brain responses when they experience touch or pain….After this time there is a gradual change, rather than a sudden shift, when the brain starts to process the two types of stimuli in a distinct manner."

Suprisingly some pro-choice groups published information about this study in an effort to contradict studies that have found that the unborn child experiences pain even earlier than 35 weeks and in so doing have put all of those who believe in abortion until birth on the defensive.

You can access the Current Biology Study here

British Journal of Psychiatry Study cannot be ignored.

A study published today, in the British Journal of Psychiatry, has found that abortion increases the risk of mental health problems for women by 81%. The research also found that nearly 10% of the incidence of all women’s mental health problems is directly attributable to abortion. The meta-analysis research is based on 22 published studies, 36 effects, and brings together data on 877,181 participants, 163,831 of whom experienced an abortion. This makes it the most comprehensive study of its kind to date. Contrary to the claims of some, the study takes account of pre-existing mental health problems prior to the abortion.

Commenting on the results of the study, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Dr Ruth Cullen said:

These findings are extremely disturbing and completely undermine pro-choice claims that abortion alleviates mental health problems. In fact, the study further proves that the opposite is the case.

The findings cannot be ignored. They raise very serious issues for everyone regardless of which side they are on in the abortion debate. The best interests of women can only be served by an honest and dispassionate appraisal of the facts.

You can access the Study here

5 year old "living proof" that British abortion limit must be slashed

5 year old Charlie Allen is "living proof" that the abortion laws in Britain need to be changed, according to his mum Emma.  Charlie was born at 23 weeks.  In Britain abortions can be carried out up to 24 weeks and up to 40 weeks in cases where the unborn child has a disability.

Charlie was fortunate to be born at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where doctors give parents a say on whether or not to resuscitate very premature babies. In Britain, it’s left up to individual health trusts to decide if they wish to follow NHS guidelines which place no obligation on hospitals to attempt resuscitating babies born earlier than 24 weeks.

Either society bases its medical ethics on the unconditional value of each human life or else it is just a utilitarian checklist – nobody has any value unless someone else decides they have value.

An age limit based purely on saving resources isn’t an ethical principal about individual human life.

Read the Daily Mail Report here

Statement from the Pro Life Campaign on proposed expert group on abortion

The Government has announced its intention to establish an expert group on abortion in response to last December’s decision of the European Court of Human Rights in A, B and C -v- Ireland. The Government had until 16th June to formally reply to the Council of Europe, giving an outline of how it proposed addressing the issues raised in the Judgement. The Department of Health has confirmed that the Government’s expert group will not be formally established until November at earliest.

Responding to the Government’s decision to set up an expert group on abortion, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said:

"Following the ECHR decision in December, pro-choice groups have sought to blur the distinction between necessary medical treatments in pregnancy and induced abortion, (where the intention of the procedure is to end the life of the baby).

It is vitally important that the expert group keeps in focus the duty of care to both mother and baby during pregnancy and the ethical distinction between medical treatments in pregnancy and induced abortion.

Contrary to the claims of abortion advocates, the European court did not say that Ireland must legislate to provide for abortion here. It called on Ireland to clarify its law on abortion which is an entirely different thing than saying we must legislate for abortion. It is also critically important to remember in this debate that Ireland, without abortion, is listed by the World Health Organisation as the safest country in the world for pregnant women."

Before the General Election, Fine Gael gave a commitment not to legislate for abortion while the Labour Party stated openly that it would introduce legislation to allow abortions take place in Ireland.

Referring to the pre-election commitments, Dr Cullen said:

"The establishment of the expert group does not preclude an Oireachtas all-party committee from also having an input, in keeping with Fine Gael’s promise before the general election that the abortion issue would be examined in a fully democratic and accountable manner."

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Pro Life Campaign invited to make formal presentations at United Nations Universal Periodic Review meetings.

 

The Pro Life Campaign made formal presentations highlighting Ireland’s record of safeguarding pregnant women and unborn children’s lives at meetings in Cork and Sligo organised by the Department of Justice and Equality this week.

The series of meetings were hosted by the Irish government in a bid to get the views of members of the public on Ireland’s human rights record and were held throughout Ireland to help inform the submission that the government will be making to the United Nations Human Rights Council in July of this year outlining Ireland’s performance on human rights issues.

The Pro Life Campaign was recently granted special NGO consultative status by the United Nations meaning that the Campaign can formally contribute to the work programmes and goals of the United Nations and make oral and written interventions on issues of concern.   The Pro Life Campaign made a written submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the abortion issue earlier this year.

Speaking after the formal presentation on behalf of the Pro Life Campaign in Sligo, Anne Maree Quinn of the Campaign said ‘Ireland’s standard of care for pregnant women and their unborn children is second to none.  This is borne out by the World Health Organisation figures which consistently find that Ireland, without abortion is the safest place in the world for pregnant women*.  Additionally, public opinion is constant in supporting the protection of our most vulnerable, the unborn child, whilst safeguarding women’s access to all necessary medical treatment during pregnancy’**
She said “The Pro Life Campaign urges the government to ensure that Ireland’s position of safeguarding women and unborn children in pregnancy is maintained and offers Ireland as an example to the other member states of the United Nations as a country respectful of all human life, born and unborn.”

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* Report on Maternal Mortality, World Health Organisation, UNICEF, UNFPA (2007-2010)
**Red C opinion poll February 2011

Pro Life Campaign says downward trend is “very encouraging”

The latest Irish abortion figures released today by the British Department of Health* show a further reduction in the number of Irish women travelling to Britain for abortions.

In 2010, 4,402 Irish women travelled to Britain for abortions, down from 4,422 for the previous year. It is the ninth consecutive year that Irish abortions have declined after more than a decade of upward trends. It marks a 34% decline since the high of 6,673 Irish abortions in 2001.

Responding to the latest figures, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro-Life Campaign said:

The Pro-Life Campaign welcomes the continued downward trend in abortions.

It has been suggested that the reduction in abortions may be as a result of more Irish women traveling to countries other than England for abortions. This is purely anecdotal as there is no statistical evidence to back up these claims. In fact, the official figures for countries like Holland have shown a drop in recent years of abortions on foreign nationals.

Over the past nine years, there has been a 34% decline in Irish abortions. It is an extremely encouraging trend and should be welcomed by everyone on both sides of the abortion debate. For years, abortion advocates claimed that an upward trend in abortions was inevitable. These claims have now proven to be false.

Legalised abortion totally ignores the humanity and rights of the unborn child as well as the latest peer reviewed medical research highlighting the long-term negative effects of abortion on women.

Ireland’s abortion rate is now 4.4 per 1,000 female residents aged 15-44 where England’s is 17.5.

*Statistical Bulletin, Summary Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2010 (24/05/11)