A·bor·tion (
-bôr
shn)
n.
1.
The expulsion of an embryo
or fetus before it is viable. 2. A miscarriage. 3. An aborted
organism. 4. Cessation of normal growth, especially of an organ or
other body part, before full development or maturation. 5. The
arrest of an action or process before its completion.
There are
any different abortion methods. However, these methods are
basically split between two types: surgical abortions and drug
abortions. Some types of surgical abortions are suction aspiration,
dilatation and evacuation (D&E), D & X (Partial Birth), and a
hysterectomy. Drug abortions include salt poisoning, prostaglandin
abortions, and RU-486.
Menstrual extraction
occurs in the early stages
of pregnancy and consists of an abortionist first paralyzing the
cervix. He then inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like tip
into the uterus. The tube is connected to a powerful pump with a
suction force 29 times more powerful than a home vacuum cleaner.
The procedure tears the baby's body into pieces and the hose
frequently jerks as pieces of the baby become lodged. The placenta
is then cut from the inner wall of the uterus and the scraps are
sucked out into a bottle.
D&E is performed during the second trimester (4-6 months) of pregnancy.
This method has largely replaced saline and chemical abortions,
which too frequently result in live births. A pliers-like
instrument is needed because the baby's bones are calcified, as is
the skull. There is no anesthetic for the baby. The abortionist
inserts the instrument into the uterus, seizes a leg or other part
of the body and, with a twisting motion, and tears it from the
baby's body. This is repeated again and again. The spine must be
snapped, and the skull crushed to remove them.
The
nurse's job is to reassemble the body parts to be sure that all are
removed.
D&X
is also used for advanced
pregnancies. The cervix is dilated to allow passage of a ring
forceps. A foot or lower leg is located and pulled into the vagina.
The baby is extracted in breech fashion until the head is just
inside the cervix. The baby's legs hang outside the woman's body.
With the baby face-down, scissors are plunged into the baby's head
at the nape of the neck and spread open to enlarge the wound. A
suction tip is inserted and the baby's brain is removed. The skull
collapses and the baby is delivered. Sharp and suction curettage is
continued until the walls of the womb are clean.
A
hysterectomy
is usually used late in pregnancy and is likened to an "early"
Caesarian section. The mother's abdomen and uterus are surgically
opened and the baby is lifted out. Unfortunately, many of these
babies are very much alive when removed. To kill the babies, some
abortionists have been known to plunge them into buckets of water or
smother them with the placentas. Still others cut the cord while
the baby is still inside the uterus depriving the baby of oxygen.
Salt poisoning is used after 16 weeks of
pregnancy, when enough fluid has accumulated in the amniotic fluid
sac surrounding the baby. A needle in inserted through the mother’s
abdomen and as much as a cup of amniotic fluid is withdrawn and
replaced with a solution of concentrated salt. The baby breathes in,
swallowing the salt, and is poisoned. The chemical solution causes
burning and deterioration of the baby’s skin, and dies within an
hour. The mother later delivers the dead baby.
Also
prostaglandins
can be used to
initiate an abortion. These are naturally produced chemical
compounds which normally assist in the birthing process. The
injection of concentrations of artificial prostaglandins prematurely
in the amniotic sac induces violent labor and the birth of a child
usually too young to survive. Often salt, or another toxin, is first
injected to ensure that the baby will be delivered dead.
Lastly we
have the
RU 486.
This type of abortion
uses two powerful synthetic hormones with the generic names of
mifepristone and misoprostol to induce abortions in women five to
nine weeks pregnant. You have to take three trips to the doctor for
this process. First time you are given an exam to make sure there
will be no complications, and then you are given the
RU 486. These
pills cut off the supply of progesterone to the baby, so he starves
as the nutrient lining of the uterus disintegrates. In the second
visit, the mother is given artificial prostaglandins, which
initiates labor and causes the baby to be born.
As you can see there are
many different types of abortion methods, with two being the most
common: surgical and drug/instillation. This article was meant to
inform you of these types, not to persuade you in one way or another
about abortion.
