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International Right to Life Federation,
Inc.
Vol. 17 No. 4
(July/August 2006)
Poland Opposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Its Parliament by a 341 to 47 vote stated that the Republic of Poland points out that human embryo experimentation is reprehensible and inconsistent with Polish Law. "The Republic of Poland shall insure the legal protection of the life of every human being."
IVF Woman Dies
An Irish woman has recently died while undergoing in-vitro fertilization. At age 32 she had ovarian hyper-stimulation which led to adult respiratory distress syndrome and her death.
No Wrongful Birth, Wrongful Life Suits In Italy
Italy's highest court has ruled that in that country there is no such thing as a "right not to be born". Therefore "wrongful birth" or "wrongful life" suits have no standing.
Human Embryo Bank
According to the London Daily Mail (8/06), a human embryo bank is being set up in San Antonio, Texas. British women will fly over for treatment. For about 8,000 USD couples can buy ready made human embryos matched to their specific requirements, such as the desired hair color. It boasts that its sperm and egg donors have college degrees, are under 25 and healthy. To create the embryos, the egg donor will be given drugs to hyper ovulate. The ova will then be fertilized in a dish with selected sperm. Presumably the resultant human embryos will then be planted in their wombs.
Adult Stem Cell Discoveries
- In Toronto, a researcher has turned adult mouse stem cells into embryonic stem cells.
- In Edinburg, England, scientists have discovered a gene that may make it possible to transform adult stem cells into embryonic ones with the same properties.
- In Sacramento, scientists have found adult stem cells in men's testicles that have embryonic stem cell like qualities. They have been able to prompt these cells to turn into nerve, heart and bone cells.
- Senator Sam Brownback, (R-KS), in a recent news conference stated that there are now 70 peer reviewed publications reporting medical successes from adult stem cells, and umbilical cord cells. There are none from embryonic ones.
- One day after President Bush vetoed an embryonic stem cell funding bill, researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky reported research showing adult stem cells can mimic the properties of embryonic ones.
- Dr. C. McGurckin at Dublin University in New Castle has been able to produce insulin secreting cells from adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood. He commented that if this were done with embryonic stem cells, the insulin would not be transplantable "because it's not a tissue match, whereas cord blood gives a big advantage because there is no tissue incompatibility".
- As reported in the American Journal of Pathology, scalp tissue may well be able to provide adult stem cells for use in treating disorders such as peripheral nerve disease, Parkinsons and spinal cord injuries.
Words
Harvest Embryos - this is a feel good word. "Bring in the crops." The end of a fruitful growing season. It falls pleasantly on our ears completely masking the reality of what is being done.
Destroy Embryos - Ah, this is better. But, we destroy things, like a broken chair. We don't kill a chair. So, to use this word, subtly dehumanizes these "things," thus, easing our conscience.
Kill Embroys - This is explicitly, exactly what is done. We only kill humans, so this abruptly identifies "the embryo" as a living human. The most accurate and pro-life wording here is "to kill a five day old living human embryo".
European Union Compromises on Stem Cell Research
The European Union will not directly pay for embryonic stem cell research according to a compromise reached by the member nations. However, individual nations will be free to use European Union science money to pay for this in their own countries. E.U. money would not be used for the direct killing of embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells, but could be used in a permissive nation for research on existing embryonic stem cells.
Holland Allows Infanticide
A Dutch Commission is recommending that disabled newborn babies can now be legally killed in Holland. Euthanasia of adults has been legal for two decades. Now they're turning to helpless newborns. According to the protocol, doctors can now kill newborn babies who are "seriously suffering" and who presumably will not live. Much of the support for killing patients in Oregon, came from the argument that they had to relieve unbearable suffering of these elderly patients. Come to find out, less than five percent of those being killed in Oregon even complain of pain and the same is true in Holland. This is a classic example of a slippery slope. Kill newborns this year, infants next year and children in five years. Just watch, it'll happen.
Spinal Cord Patients Benefited
Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal has finally published research showing restored motor function and sensation in paralyzed quadriplegic patients. He has been using adult stem cells obtained from the lining of the patient's own nose.
The study in The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine reported seven patients treated and improved. Since submission for publication he has treated 24 more patients.
Canada Okays Embryonic Research
For the first time ever, the Canadian Government has authorized embryonic stem cell research with taxpayer funds. It has authorized $523,000.00 for the project.
Japan Population Declines
For some time now Japan's birthrate has been below replacement level. The latest being 1.25 babies per women in her lifetime in 2005. However, the increasing longevity of the population plus medical advances keeping people alive longer have combined to continue to slowly increase the total numbers. This has now apparently peaked and for the second year in a row the total population of Japan has declined.
Amnesty for Babies Before Birth
An international campaign, including a petition to declare and uphold the right to life of a child before birth was launched in Geneva on June 28. Guest speakers at the launch were the Papal Nucio, as well as Mr. John Smeaton of SPUC and Patrick Buckly of the European Life Network. This is directly antagonistic to the recent moves by Amnesty International which seem to be paving the way for that group to announce a pro-abortion position. The first initiative of this new campaign was an international petition for signatures from NGO's and legislators. The ultimate aim of this group is a new declaration on the right to life of the child from fertilization.
India Suspends Doctors
Finally cracking down on a law that's been there for some time, the report from India is that 11 doctors have had their licenses suspended for using ultrasound diagnoses to identify the sex of an unborn child.
French Birthrate Stays Up
France has the second highest birthrate in Europe. Part of this is due to their large Muslim population, but part may now be due to government incentives. The government gives medals for successful large families and higher benefits for three or more children. It gives a childcare allowance encouraging mothers to return to their careers after having children. Its birthrate is 1.9 per women, exceeded in Western Europe only by Ireland at 2.0. (The US is 2.1). France now has graduated its income tax rate, so that more children means less tax for parents. The government also pays a monthly allowance of $314.00 for families with three children. They get a "large family card", which gives a thirty percent reduction in train fare and half for riding the metro. It also gives free entrance to swimming pools and other venues as well as certain other benefits. These benefits are certainly the most generous of any nation that we know of and may well be a factor in the up-tick in births.
Abortionist In Fiji Gets 3 Year Sentence
In Botched Abortion
An abortionist in Fiji who did a botched abortion that killed a 20-year-old student has been found guilty in her death and given a three year sentence for manslaughter. His recent request for bail has been denied.
Warren Buffet Gives Money
Warren Buffet has announced that he will give three billion USD to the Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation and more than 30 billion to the Gates Foundation. The STB Foundation in the past has generously given money to the Population Council, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Family Health International, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Catholics for Free Choice, etc., as well as funds to expedite the approval of RU-486.
Australia Still No Cloning
Prime Minister John Howard has said, "It is my strong belief that human embryos should not be created for any purpose other than for in-vitro fertilization". In 2002 its Federal and State Parliaments restricted experimentation to already existing embryos. It ruled that IVF scientists are not allowed to create new embryos on which to experiment. They may not produce human embryos by cloning, by parthenogenesis, by using genetic material from more than two people or from non-human animals. A committee report has recommended that most of these restrictions be lifted. The Parliament will discuss this in the near future.
The Pope In Spain
Pope Benedict XVI, speaking in Valencia, Spain, drew more than 1 million people when he spoke there defending pro-life values. This was a definite clash with the policies of Prime Minister Jose Zapatero, who has been pushing abortion.
Growing Gender Imbalance
Nature delivers a hundred and four boys for every one hundred women. Higher male infant mortality and earlier death rates for men adjust that to its proper balance. But now we have widespread use of ultrasound, particularly in the eastern countries where boy babies are much preferred to girl babies. Add this to China's one child policy and widespread female infanticide in the far east and here's what you now have. In China there are approximately 120 male births for every 100 female births. This imbalance is even higher in some areas. It is 135 to 100 in China's Hubei province. Taiwan has 119 to 100. Singapore 118 to 100. South Korea 112 to 100. In parts of India, it's as high as a 120 or more to 100 girls. The end result here will be a huge number of restless young men without wives. We see violence ahead.
IVF Causes Placeta Praevia
A massive study of 845,000 pregnancies in Norway had just been reported. It has linked in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to an increased risk of placenta praevia. This occurs when the placenta covers the cervix, blocking the baby's exit from the womb into the birth canal. Among IVF users the risk was 10 in 1000 as compared to 3 in 1000 for natural pregnancies.
Britain Eugenics Abortion Explosion Feared
In the UK the Guardian, June 19, 2006, reported that fertility researchers have increased the number of potential genetic abnormalities that they could detect in human embryos from 200 to almost 6000. In these new procedures they will be scanning embryos to identify a huge number of previously undetectable genetic diseases. Unfortunately, this technology will likely result in a huge increase of killing embryos as those with major genetic defects, and you can be sure minor ones too, are identified.
HPV Vaccine - Another Deception
The US Food and Drug Act Department has approved a vaccine to protect against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are over 100 different strains of this virus. Some of them lead to cervical cancer. Some are cured by the body over time and are basically harmless. Most of these victims don't know they have the infection. Unfortunately, this vaccine has been given much publicity and touted as being capable of giving blanket protection against cervical cancer. Its protection however, is extremely limited as it protects against only two strains of HPV and two strains of genital warts. Further it costs two to three hundred dollars per patient. Certainly, we should rejoice that it can protect some women from this invisible infection and from ultimately getting cervical cancer. Tragically however, it's being publicized as a blanket protection.
Chemotherapy, Breast Cancer and Pregnancy
The use of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer during pregnancy has often been called "the dreadful choice". Should she have an abortion, or risk a malformed child at delivery? An American Medical Association News briefing in Manhattan in June examined 57 women with breast cancer who started chemotherapy after the first trimester of pregnancy and did not use radiation until after the birth. The results showed no abnormal effects on the babies, except slightly lower birth weights.
Most Raped Women Elect to Deliver
Victims and Victors is a book co-authored by Elliot Institute Director, Dr. David Reardon. It's a book about pregnancies, abortions and children resulting from sexual assault. Conventional wisdom holds that the answer to an assault rape pregnancy is induced abortion, and that the women victims want an abortion. It is thought, says Reardon, that this will help them put the assault behind them, recover more quickly and avoid the additional trauma of the child to be born. His research however, says something quite different. In a survey of 192 women, pregnant from assault rape, nearly 80% said they regretted their abortions while none of the women who carried to term said they wished they had not done so or that they had wished they had chosen abortion instead. Most who had abortions reported being pressured by family members, health care workers, etc. into an abortion. This is particularly true for incest.
Many of the women who share their stories in Victims and Victors state that abortion felt like a further violation. I grieve everyday for my daughter, wrote one woman, who stated, "The trauma of the rape and abuse was only intensified by the abortion". The compassionate answer to this dilemma is to give unconditional support, help and love to the woman and then to allow her to make her own decision completely free from any pressure from others.
J.C. Willke, President,
International Right to Life Fed.
1821 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45239 USA
Phone +1 (513) 729-3600
Fax +1 (513) 729-3636
e-mail:
IRTLF@lifeissues.org
International
Right to Life Fed., International Office
Ruitersweg 35-37 1211 KT Hilversum
The Netherlands
Phone +31 35 624-4352
Fax +31 35 624-9141
e-mail:
info@schreeuwomleven.nl
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