Baby will ‘certainly’ be born alive

MUMBAI: The medical fraternity has called the Supreme Court judgment allowing a 13-year-old to terminate her 32-week pregnancy a “path-breaking” decision. There are some, though, who have underlined the need for urgent efforts to prevent advanced pregnancies that give rise to ethical concerns about the life of an unborn baby.
Calling it a landmark decision, gynaecologist Dr Nikhil Datar, who helped the teenaged girl’s family approach the Supreme Court, said this is perhaps the first time that a pregnancy is allowed to be terminated at such an advanced stage.“The Supreme Court has answered the crucial question of whose health concern should supersede—the mother or the unborn child,” he said. He also commended the J J board for giving a “thoroughly scientific” report.
Dr Ashok Anand, J J’s head of gynaecology, said that girl will undergo a cesarean section as a normal delivery would not be possible at this stage.
“The baby will certainly be born alive. It will need neonatal intensive care as several organs are not fully developed at this stage. A newborn is usually kept till he/she reaches at least 2kgs and doesn’t have any other major ailments,” he said. Thereafter, he said, the law will take its own course and a decision on custody will be taken in consultation with the girl’s family and authorities.
Obstetrician Dr Sangeeta Pikale who has been vocal about the rights of a teenage girl over that of a foetus said, “The child victim has been accurately focused upon and justice has been delivered to the rape victim. The judiciary has given her life back,” she said.
The J J report gave independent opinions about the health status of the mother and the unborn foetus, who now weighs around 1.6kgs. The report stated that while the mother should be allowed to undergo abortion, the termination would involve the same amount of risk as delivering a full-term baby. For the foetus, it had said that the baby would have a lower chance of morbidity and mortality if it had stayed in the womb for at least two more weeks. The Supreme Court decided to allow the termination.
The girl is likely to come to the hospital on Thursday for pre-operative checks. “As part of preparations, we have to keep blood units ready and carry out some anesthesia checks before the surgery,” he said.
A senior gynaecologist, who did not wish to be identified, though, said a thought must have been spared for the child who will be born extremely premature. “It seems like the baby is perfectly healthy and normal, and another few weeks would have given the child a chance at a healthy life and perhaps adoption by a childless couple. The pregnancy was, after all, allowed to progress till 32 weeks despite being detected in its 27th week,” the doctor added.