{"id":264010,"date":"2022-03-11T16:44:04","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T22:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=264010"},"modified":"2022-03-10T00:09:44","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T06:09:44","slug":"premature-23-week-survives-abortion-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/premature-23-week-survives-abortion-changed\/","title":{"rendered":"Mom of 23-week preemie wants United Kingdom abortion laws changed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A woman whose son was born at premature 23 weeks is calling for a change in the United Kingdom, where abortion is currently legal for most reasons through 24 weeks. It is also legal until birth\u00a0if the preborn child is diagnosed with a disability.<\/p>\n

The law<\/a> reflects the country’s “viability” standard when it considers that premature babies may be able to survive outside the womb. But new mom Syma Dawson sees the flaw in such a law after her son, Harrison, was born prematurely at 23 weeks.<\/p>\n

“He weighed 575g (1 lb 4 oz) at birth, but dropped to 420g (14.8 oz) the following week,” Dawson wrote in the Scottish Daily Mail<\/a>. “After going through what we did, I agree the abortion threshold of 24 weeks needs to be revised.”<\/p>\n

Syma said that when Harrison was born, doctors initially indicated that they had done all they could. It was only after her husband, Seamus, begged doctors to help their child that the baby was brought to neonatal intensive care so he could receive medical treatment. Harrison underwent an extended period of time in the hospital where he faced various medical challenges, yet persevered despite the odds. He recently celebrated his first birthday.<\/p>\n

“Now, he no longer needs oxygen and I am happy to see my little boy smile,” Syma writes.<\/p>\n