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LETTERS: Mark Tighe Fetuses can feel pain BMJ 2006; 332: 1036 [Full text]

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Fetuses may feel earlier than we think.

jeevan P Marasinghe   (29 April 2006)

Fetuses may feel earlier than we think. 29 April 2006
jeevan P Marasinghe, Registrar In Obstetrics and Gynaecology Professorial Unit,University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka. Send response to journal: Re: Fetuses may feel earlier than we think.	There had been some interesting arguments regarding the correct timing of the development of fetal pain. There is not much proven evidence in this area. But touch and pressure sensation are undoubtedly present in fetal babies from 16 to 20 weeks of period of amenorrhoea.That is why a multi parous mother sense the moments of the baby when she strokes her tummy around this period and the house officer or the mid wife gets a kick from the fetal baby when they examine the mother from around 28 weeks onwards. Sensory nerves, the thalamus and the motor nerves are developed around 8 to 10 weeks of period of amenorrhoea.They are the basic anatomical structures necessary to feel pain. So it is clear that even deliberately aborted fetuses should feel pain. Changes in heart rate and fetal movements observed suggest that intrauterine manipulations are painful to the fetuses. A real time ultrasound scan of an abortion of a 12 weeker dramatically shows the fetal baby dodging the suction instrument from time to time while its heart beat doubles in rate until its body is being disseminated. It has clearly showed the amount of suffering and pain it has to undergo before it dies fulfilling the parents wish. But one can argue that without the full development of the cerebral cortex, although it feels the pain there is no appreciation of it. But the thalamus is responsible to feel pain and the cortex is irrelevant structure in this regard. These facts give a valid reason to rethink for couples who plan to destroy the product of their unprotected sex.But at the end of the day it will be the fetal baby or if it survives until delivery, the unwanted newborn baby is the one who suffer. jeevanmarasinghe@yahoo.com References 1. Volman and Pearson,’ what the fetus feels', BMJ, Jan 26 1980, pp 233-234 1980. 2. www.abortionfacts.com Competing interests: None declared