A Cincinnati, Ohio hospital has adopted a new, life-affirming policy that protects unborn babies from discriminatory abortions.
Doctors at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati are no longer allowed to abort unborn babies who have fetal abnormalities, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The hospital adopted a new policy recently that will only allow abortions “in situations deemed to be a threat to the life of the mother,” according to the report.
Unborn babies diagnosed with an abnormality or disability are frequently targeted for abortions. This discriminatory practice is causing increasing concern among many groups of people, especially pro-life advocates. In cases of Down syndrome, studies estimate as many as 90 percent of unborn babies are aborted. Some pro-lifers argue that the practice of aborting unborn babies with health problems is modern day eugenics, the elimination of people who society deems “unfit.”
Christ Hospital was the last in the Cincinnati area to change its policy prohibiting abortions in these cases, the report states.
The report provides more details about the policy change:
A Christ Hospital spokeswoman wouldn’t discuss the facility’s previous practices, including whether it had [previously] allowed abortions in the case of fatal fetal anomalies. But a Cincinnati-area doctor, who says he performs the procedures “only if the baby is going to die,” said he terminated more than a dozen pregnancies at the facility last year, all of which took place at 16 to 20 weeks’ gestation — a time period legal under Ohio law.
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… The new policy, titled “Termination of Human Pregnancy,” was approved by the board of directors at The Christ Hospital. Physicians may terminate pregnancies if the fetus or embryo is already “deceased,” the policy says. “No person is required to participate in the termination of a human pregnancy,” the policy says, even if a pregnancy threatens a woman’s life — the scenario in which an abortion is allowed at Christ.
The move has upset local abortion activists, who said women who want to abort because of a fetal abnormality will have to travel outside of Cincinnati or go to Planned Parenthood.
Ohio NARAL spokeswoman Kellie Copeland blasted the hospital for ending abortions.
“Women who used to be able to turn to Christ Hospital at their time of greatest need can no longer trust their community medical center,” Copeland said. “In many situations, a hospital is the only safe place for a woman to go” if she decides to abort her child.
Local Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Danielle Craig also criticized the hospital’s new life-affirming policy.
“These cases are highly emotional and tragic,” Craig said. “Under these circumstances, for many patients, an overnight stay in a hospital is better than an outpatient procedure, and women should have that option.”
Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life, defended the hospital’s new, protective policy for unborn babies.
“We have to respect the freedom of conscience,” he told the newspaper.
The news report states that a Christian missionary founded Christ Hospital, but it no longer appears to have a religious affiliation.
ACTION: Thank Christ Hospital by going here.
