Heartbeat act protects women and preborn babies after six weeks gestation
As a practicing OB/GYN surgeon in Naples, I have been horrified to see many of our fellow states determined to enshrine abortion on demand and feel compelled to speak out as a medical professional who understands the duty of her Hippocratic Oath to do no harm to not only to babies, but to mothers as well.
So, this month when Florida stood against this trend and passed and signed into law legislation banning abortions after six weeks gestation, I was proud of our state for realizing the inherent humanity and dignity of every human life – in and outside of the womb.
Abortion poses grave dangers and risks to both women and children. Extensive medical research performed throughout the U.S. and around the world has revealed the many abortion related complications that women face – such as that women who have even one abortion have a 40% increased risk of breast cancer, 81% increased risk of chronic mental health problems, 36% increased risk of future preterm births, and a risk of bleeding, infection, and need for uterine surgery. I have treated hundreds of women who have developed these diseases after having an abortion, and they plead with me to share these facts with others.
Also, based on my experience working with countless preborn children of all gestational ages, I have seen firsthand what science unequivocally proves about the humanity of these preborn lives: that at six weeks, when this legislation enacts protection for babies in the womb, preborn babies have an actively beating heart, with an average heart rate of 110 beats per minute.
Few Americans realize that by six weeks, preborn children are already beautifully unique individuals. Intricate details that make up each preborn human person are already forming at six weeks, such as the adorable eyes, ears and noses that so many parents adore and gush over after birth. Amazingly, by six weeks a preborn baby’s brain is already divided into the three primary sections it will need for the rest of its life: sensing and decision-making, moving and tracking objects, and vital bodily functions.
The significant risks to mothers undergoing abortions and the reality that preborn children are human beings at all stages of development, are critical considerations that should factor into every decision for any medical professional tasked with caring for an expecting mother, and her preborn child. Sadly, far too many in our country are willing to overlook the humanity of women and preborn patients, and tragically endanger and end their lives through elective abortion.
The Heartbeat Protection Act puts an end to this blatant disregard for human life by protecting women and all babies six weeks and older from the horrific fate of abortion. Like all other pro-life legislation, the bill makes exceptions for when the life of the mother is endangered. It also makes exceptions in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking.
Sounds reasonable right? Recent polling indicates that most Florida voters think so too with 62 percent of Floridians supporting legislation that protects preborn babies once a heartbeat is detected.
Unfortunately, abortion supporters are already prolifically fighting against the bill, and fearmongering about the ways this supposedly “restrictive” law will allegedly harm women.
On the contrary, in addition to accurately reflecting science and popular opinion, the bill specifically considers the reality that over 60% of women report feeling coerced into abortion, and that countless women regretfully resorted to abortion because they thought it was their only option. Just last year, nearly 25% of abortions in Florida alone were sought for “social or economic reasons.” We must do better for women.
Bearing these tragic realities in mind, the bill offers a solution in the form of $25 million in funds to support pregnancy resource centers around the state. These mighty centers have spent the past half-century offering expecting mothers excellent medical, educational, financial and psychological resources free of charge. Moreover, countless women have come forward to attest to the fact that these centers not only helped them to choose life for their wanted children, but also helped them to build a beautiful, healthy life for themselves. Through this amplified funding, imagine the powerful ways we could touch even more women and children’s lives.
For the sake of my patients, I am grateful this new heartbeat bill has been signed into law.
With this law Floridians can be proud to stand as national leaders in protecting precious babies with beating hearts and supporting the mothers and families who love them.
Dr. Karysse Trandem is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologic surgeon in Naples. She has completed distinguished research fellowships at both the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., and the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Heartbeat act protects women and preborn babies after six weeks gestation
