Scientists Continue Finding Unborn Babies Feel Pain Earlier Than Thought
December 5, 2021 | District of Columbia
“If you prick us, do we not bleed?” — William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene I, “The Merchant of Venice.”
The answer to the question, the plaintive plea of Shylock for the recognition of his shared humanity, is, of course, “yes.” It’s a universal human characteristic. Even still in the womb, a few weeks old, our hearts are beating rhythmically and blood courses throughout our tiny, still-developing bodies. Prick us then, and we will bleed.
But what if the question is phrased, “If you prick us, do we not feel pain?”
Again, for those of us already born, barring some pathological neural syndrome, the answer is certainly “yes.” But what about those still-developing humans in the womb?
For years the consensus was “no,” not until well after birth. As science and medical observations advanced, the answer turned to “yes” but not until late in gestation (after 24 weeks) and only with development of the cortex (the outermost, thinking layer of the brain).
Science continued to advance, especially in our knowledge of how and when our nerves and other tissues form as we grow and develop in our mother’s wombs. But sadly, many turned a blind eye to the science, preferring a blinkered interpretation that fit their desired narrative on the status of the fetus in the womb…(Excerpts from LIFENEWS.COM)
