Minnesota has released its annual report on abortions that took place in the state in 2021. The report reveals that five babies were born alive after abortions. All were denied medical care, even though this is illegal in Minnesota. All of them died.
The Minnesota Born Alive Infants Protection Act, passed in 2015, states:
When an abortion is performed after the 20th week of pregnancy, a physician, other than the physician performing the abortion, shall be immediately accessible to take all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice… to preserve the life and health of any born alive infant that is the result of the abortion.
There is no way to determine how old these babies were, but the report also reveals that 159 abortions were committed last year in Minnesota between 21 and 24 weeks, and one was committed between 25 and 30 weeks. Any one of these babies could have been born alive.
The youngest premature baby ever to survive was Richard Scott William Hutchinson, who was born at 21 weeks and two days. Despite being given a 0% chance of survival at birth, Hutchinson went home after six months in the hospital. In 2021, his family celebrated his first birthday.
READ: Minnesota judge blocks protections for preborn in devastating ruling
Ironically, Hutchinson received his lifesaving care in the state of Minnesota, at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis. Even though there was a facility that had saved babies as young as 21 weeks right in Minnesota, none of the five babies born alive after abortions were transferred there.
In one case, the baby had “fetal anomalies,” which the report says caused his or her death after delivery. According to the report, “No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive.”
Notably, the Missouri law doesn’t exempt doctors from providing medical care if the baby has a fetal anomaly.
Two of the babies were said to be “previable.” They were not given any medical care. The report doesn’t say how far along these children were, so it’s conceivably possible that they were less than 20 weeks. But it’s highly unlikely
because abortions between 14 and 21 weeks are done by D&E, where the baby is dismembered, rather than induction. You can see a former abortion doctor describe a D&E below. It is highly unlikely a child could have survived this procedure.
Later abortions can be done by induction, and it is more likely a baby will be born alive in this case, because the child is delivered intact after being poisoned, and the poison has been known to fail to kill the baby. You can see a video about these abortions below.
The other two babies were considered viable and could’ve survived with medical treatment. However, neither baby received it. According to the report:
“comfort care measures were provided as planned and the infant did not survive.”
Nurse Jill Stanek, who worked in the ironically named Christ Hospital, where abortions were committed, defined comfort care as “keeping the baby warm in a blanket until s/he dies.”
Stanek further explains “comfort care”:
Parents may hold the baby if they wish. If the parents do not want to hold their dying aborted baby, a staff member cares for the baby until s/he dies. If staff does not have the time or desire to hold the baby, s/he is taken to Christ Hospital’s new Comfort Room. Before the Comfort Room was established, babies were taken to the Soiled Utility Room to die.
Stanek later testified before Congress. She and others successfully lobbied for a national Born Alive Infants Protection Act to be passed.
Unfortunately, the report makes clear that abortion facilities are simply ignoring the law and letting babies die. Incidentally, the statistics reveal that 3% of babies aborted at 21 weeks or later in Minnesota were born alive. If the statistic holds true for the rest of the country, this would mean there are roughly 335 abortion live births a year.
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