brain-dead pregnant woman

[NJlonghorn]

I just read about the Ft. Worth case involving a pregnant woman who was brain dead, and the Texas law that forced the hospital to continue life support.

]The Link

This law ventures into a thicket of difficult issues. Every answer I can think of raises concerns that trouble me.

 

[Larry T. Spider]

Tough situation for sure. I think its best of the spouse gets to decide in cases like these.

 

[Horn6721]

A lesson for us all
This mother was a paramedic and had said often she didn't want to be kept alive on a ventilator
But she didn't have a written directive
and the whole thing was complicated by her pregnancy

I know if there had been the slightest chance the baby was ok the father would have felt differently

RIP Mother and baby
and prayers for the family

 

[NJlonghorn]

This case presents one extreme, where almost everyone would agree that enforcement of the law would be ridiculous. Another case at that extreme is a woman who gets killed on the way home from the doctors appointment where she learned she is a few weeks pregnant. She would have been able to terminate the pregnancy if she wanted, and that right should pass to her heirs. Easy.

At the other extreme, you would have a woman who is 30-plus weeks into a pregnancy and gets into a car crash. Almost everyone would agree that the surviving heirs should not be able to deny CPR for the short time necessary to get the mom to a hospital for a successful delivery of an already viable fetus.

But what about the great swath of cases in between? I see some parallels to the abortion debate, but with the decision resting with the surviving heirs. Those parallels break down on countless levels, though.

I haven't thought through this enough to have a firm opinion, but my gut reaction is that the law's absolute language makes it both unwise and unconstitutional.

 

[bedhead]

The baby is showing "severe deformities" perhaps due to the polluted blood, etc. his mom is feeding him through the umbilical cord.

The baby is also only 14 weeks old. Babies need nutrients that are healthy to survive--this is different than a mother in a coma, where her organs etc are healthy. She is dead. The baby is basically existing on nutrients from a dead woman.

Terribly sad situation all around. I am mostly pro-abortion, in early stages, but I believe this baby is suffering and the families wishes should be granted. This baby will never make it to 9 months, and would be grossly unhealthy if taken earlier.

 

[Crockett]

Alas Horn6721 can appear reasoned and moderate on this because he's not standing for election in the Republican Primary. All 4 GOP LT. Gov. candidates want to close a "loophole" that didn't require us to keep a brain dead mother breathing long enough for a brain dead infant to be born.The Link

Of course, when you want to require teaching of creationism in public schools, I guess it's only natural to expect miracles to crop up everywhere.

 

[Larry T. Spider]

Not to derail, but that debate was embarrassing for the state. None would make an exception for a raped woman to get an abortion. I believe all were in favor of teaching creationism.