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Partial Birth Abortions

February 26, 1997
By: Naomi Smith
State Capital Bureau

Missouri's abortion war is far from over. A technique called dilation and extraction, also known as D & E or partial birth abortion, is sparking controversy in the Missouri capital.

Although not new, the technique is uncommon in Missouri. But the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to ban all partial birth abortions.

Abortion activists say the procedure should remain available.

Naomi Smith has more from Jefferson City.

Partial birth abortion procedures abort fetuses in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. During the three-day procedure, physicians use forceps to turn the fetus into a breech position and pull it out from the mother's womb. Brain tissue is then extracted from the skull of the fetus.

Abortion opponents, like Senator Ted House, say the procedure is inhumane.

Actuality:"of a human baby."
RunTime: Ted House
OutCue:
Contents: "I think it's an important effort for us to realize that that's a barbaric procedure that should never be tolerated in a civilized society and I can't imagine anybody that would oppose outlawing sucking the brains out of a human baby." (55-60)

But contrary to House's assumption, there is opposition to legislative involvement with this procedure. Paula Gianino (GA-NEE-NO), president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood in the St. Louis region, says legislators are overstepping their boundaries and should allow physicians to decide the health of women. Actuality:"and a family's life."
RunTime: Paula Gianino
OutCue:
Contents: "It is an attempt for government to put themselves in between a woman and a physician during one of the most difficult times and traumatic times in a woman's and a family's life." (168-172)

Gianino (GA-NEE-NO) says partial birth abortions are necessary when a there is a life-threathening condition of the fetus or mother.

Tammy Watts knows this from experience. Watts, who underwent the procedure two years ago because the fetus she was carrying had a lethal chromosome condition, says she's made the best choice for her child.

Actuality:"end her life peacefully."
RunTime: Tammy Watts
OutCue:
Contents: "My husband and I found during a seven month routine ultrasound that the child I was carrying had a lethal condition, a chromosomal anomaly, and that he couldn't live and in fact was already dying inside of me. And after reviewing all of the options, we carefully and unfortunately made the best decision that we could for her and that was to end her life peacefully." (327-332)

Watts says her unborn child would not have lived long enough to be born.

But Patty Skain, executive director of Missouri's Right to Life, says even terminally ill fetuses should have a chance to live.

Actuality:"as long as it can."
RunTime: Patty Skain
OutCue:
Contents: "If a child is going to die because of a condition, and there are those kinds of conditions... but if they're going to... then it is our belief that that child has the right to live as long as it can."(287-290)

Skain also says most partial birth abortions are not done on fetuses that are terminally ill.

House, who introduced the partial birth abortion bill, agrees. He says many healthy women have the D & X procedure done on healthy fetuses.

Actuality:"perfectly healthy women."
RunTime: Ted House
OutCue:


Contents: "Most of those who favor partial birth abortion would suggest that it's only done the case of fetal deformity or to save the life of the mother and that's very untrue. A majority of partial birth abortions done in this nation are done on perfectly healthy children being carried by perfectly healthy women." (62-68)

House says any female in Missouri can have this procedure done.

But Coletta Eichenburger, vice president for community affairs of Planned Parenthood in Columbia, says not all expectant mothers are able to have this procedure.

Actuality:"and her physician."
RunTime: Coletta Eichenburger
OutCue:
Contents: "They are portraying it as women in just any kind of circumstance can have this kind of procedure done, and that is not accurate. This is a decision that has to be made between the woman and her physician." (253-256)

Eichenburger also says some families who have terminally ill fetuses want a partial birth abortion to physically hold, grieve, baptize and bury the fetus.

Watts, who met with President Clinton last April when he vetoed the national partial birth bill, buried her fetus after its birth. She says having the abortion was the most difficult period in her life.

But things are looking up for her.

She is pregnant again...this time with a healthy baby.

From the state capital, I'm Naomi Smith.