From the [UK] Guardian:

An MP with a cleft palate will introduce an amendment to the embryology bill that could reduce the number of late abortions on the grounds of disability.

Nick Palmer, the Labour MP for Broxtowe, wants doctors and clinics to be forced to provide mothers with the most up-to-date scientific and medical information about a fetal disability.

At present, abortions can be performed beyond the legal limit of 24 weeks if doctors agree that a foetus has a “serious handicap”, which can include conditions such as club foot and cleft palate.

Palmer, a parliamentary aide to the energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, told the Guardian: “I was struck by the fact that under current legislation it was possible to have a late abortion on the basis of conditions like a cleft palate, because I have never found it to be a serious life-destroying condition myself.

“I just feel that if mothers have the benefit of the full information about quality of life and prognosis they would be better able to make an informed decision.”

This entry was posted on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 11:33 am and is filed under abortion, celebrities, international, politics, prenatal diagnosis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post