Pro Life Information
Fetal Development
The life of a baby begins long before he or she is born. A new individual human being begins growing in the mother’s uterus at fertilization, and if the baby’s life is not interrupted, he or she will someday become an adult man or woman.
Day 1 – The sperm joins with the ovum (egg) to form one cell. This one cell contains the complex genetic blueprint for every detail of human development: the child’s sex, hair and eye colour, height, skin tone etc. The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where the lining has been prepared for implantation.
Day 20 – Foundations of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system are already established.
Day 21 – The heart begins to beat.
Day 28 – The backbone and muscles are forming: arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show. At one month old, the embryo is 10 000 times larger than the original fertilized egg- and developing rapidly. The heart is pumping increased quantities of blood through the circulatory system. The placenta forms a unique barrier that keeps the mother’s blood separate while allowing food and oxygen to pass through to the baby.
Month 2
Day 35 – The pre-born baby has all her fingers.
Day 40 – Brain waves can be detected.
6 Weeks – The brain is controlling 40 sets of muscles as well as the organs. The jaw forms, including teeth buds in the gums. The eyes seal to protect the developing light-sensitive eyes. They will reopen in the seventh month.
The stomach produces digestive juices and the kidneys have begun to function. The baby’s body responds to touch.
(image – 7 weeks).
Month 3
9 Weeks – Fingerprints are evident and will never change. The baby now sleeps, awakens and excercises her muscles energetically: turning her head, curling her toes and opening and closing her mouth.
The palm, when stroked, will make a tight fist. The baby breathes amniotic fluid to help her develop her respitory system.
Month 4
By the end of this month, the baby is eight to ten inches in length and weighs half a pound or more. The ears are functioning, and there is evidence that the baby hears the mother’s voice and heartbeat, as well as external noises. The umbilical cord has become an engineering marvel, transporting 300 quarts of fluids per day and completing a round trip of fluids every 30 seconds. The mother usually begins to feel the baby’s movement during this month. (image – 16 weeks).
Month 5
Half the pregnancy has now passed, and the baby is about 12 inches long. If sound is especially loud or startling, the baby may jump in reaction to it. Babies born at this stage of development (19-20 weeks) have survived.
Month 6
Oil and sweat glands are functioning. The delicate skin of the growing baby isprotected from the waters in the amniotic sac by a special ointment called “vernix” (image 20 weeks).
Month 7
The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch. She can recognize her mother’s voice.
Month 8
The skin begins to thicken, with a layer of fat stored underneath for insulation and nourishment. Antibodies increasingly build up. The baby absorbs a gallon of amniotic fluid per day; the fluid is completely replaced every three hours.
Month 9
Toward the end of this month, the baby is ready for birth. The average duration of a pregnancy is 280 days from the first day of the mother’s last menstrual period, but this varies. By this time the infant’s heart is pumping 300 gallons of blood per day. The child triggers labor and birth occurs. Of 45 generations of cell divisions before adulthood, 41 have taken place. Four more will come during the rest of childhood and before adolescence.
All information from “She’s a Child Canada” Publication, 1994.
Euthanasia
The isssue of euthanasia and assisted suicide is of utmost concern as society accepts killing as a solution to problems that are best solved through caring options.
For people who are lonely, suffering and possibly dying, the prospect of euthanasia or assisted suicide might grant them the feeling that they are in control over an otherwise helpless situation. The reality is that today, there is no reason for people to suffer uncontrollable pain, be a burden on family members, fear receiving medical treatment without giving consent or be abandoned in their time of need.
There is a growing tendency to promote “mercy killing” as a solution to suffering, pain, aging, mental or physical challenges, social ills, rising health costs and cost containment.
Sanctioning of euthanasia and assisted suicide (as in the Netherlands) has led to increased use of euthanasia without consent, circumvention of the law, and abuse of the vulnerable.
Advances in hospice/palliative care and pain management methods are threatened when euthanasia and assisted suicide are sanctioned as a means of relieving pain and suffering.
The medical profession need more instruction and the public needs more education regarding hospice/palliative care and effective pain control.
Depression is the most common factor in requests for assisted suicide. Depression can be diagnosed and treated successfully. Requests for assisted suicide is a call for help.
Abortion Statistics
Information taken from the Toronto Right to Life website.
(Research conducted by the Guttmacher Institute)
* Globally 42 million abortions occur per year
* About 100,000 (96,815%) of those occur in Canada
* Annual Abortion Rates link
The number of abortions authorized by the Government of Canada has increased phenomenally since 1970, the first year of the new abortion legislation. In that inaugural year Canada’s ten provinces and and two territories reported that centers participating in the “theraputic abortion program” performed 11,132 abortions.
Data collected by Statistics Canada report that there are consistently over 100,000 induced abortion occurring annually in Canada alone.
YEAR – Induced Abortions (Canada)
2000 – 105,427
2001 – 106,243
2002 – 105,154
2003 – 103,768
2004 – 100,039
Ontario typically performs close to 40% of the country’s abortions.
Year – Induced Abortions (Ontario)
2001 – 38,827
2002 – 38,138
2003 – 36,666
2004 – 35,183
Ontario spends about $30 million dollars of taxpayers money annually on abortion services.
Polls consistently show that a large majority of Canadians (68%) are opposed to funding abortion on demand. Sixty-three percent favour legal protection for human life before birth, while 67% favour informed consent legislation on abortion. (Leger, Nov. 2003; also see Leger, Oct. 2002; Gallup, Dec. 2001; Baseline, July 2001)
For the most recent poll and for information on all National polls go to http://www.lifecanada.org/html/resources/polling/index.html
* In Canada, for every 4 live births that occur, there is 1 abortion.***
* Approximately 300 abortions occur each day in Canada.
* Of the 445 899 pregnancies that occurred in women between the ages of 15 and 49 in 2004, 22.4% ended in abortion.***
* 36.6% of abortions (36 614 babies) occur between 4 and 9 weeks when the baby’s heart is beating, brain waves are detected and ultrasounds show them waving their arms and legs (at 7 to 9 weeks).*
* 49.5% of abortions (49 519 babies) occur at 9 to 12 weeks when the child has fingerprints, urinates in utero, squints, swallows, wrinkles his or her forehead, sleeps, wakes and exercises.*
* 9.6% of abortions (9 603 babies) occur at 13 to 16 weeks when the baby has fine hair on his or her head, is 8′ to 10′ long and can hear.*
* 4.4% occur (4 401 babies) at 16 weeks to birth when the child can be startled by a sudden noise and can survive with proper care outside of the womb.*
Abortions are most common among women in their 20′s, who account for 53% of all abortions obtained in 2004.***
Of the 61,227 abortions performed in Canadian hospitals, records were kept for only 43 731. Of the
45 016 abortions performed in clinics, records were kept for only 5 325.**
A study by the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons of 41 039 women during the three month period after their abortions showed that these women had a more than four times higher rate of hospitalization for infections, a five times higher rate of “surgical events” and a nearly five times higher rate of hospitalization for psychiatric problems than the matching group of women who had not had abortions. (College of Physicians & Surgeons 2001)
An estimated 13 000 Canadian women need surgical intervention following their abortion each year. (American Journal of Medical Quality, 2001)
In the absence of the law in Canada, abortion on demand can be performed through out all nine months of pregnancy. Technically, a child can be killed in it’s mothers womb right up until she begins labour.
(Data on abortions in Canada is available at Statistics Canada website at www.statscan.ca)
* Percentages of babies aborted are taken from Stats Canada 2003 report.
** Statistics Canada 2001
*** Statistics Canada 2004
Note: Data for 2004 cover induced abortions performed in hospitals and clinics in provinces and territories, except those performed in Manitoba clinics, which were unavailable.
Other Useful Links
Below are links you may find helpful.
Pregnancy:
Sarnia Pregnancy Centre
Personhood Movement in Canada:
an examination of where the unborn child stands in Canada.
Personhood.ca
Media Campaign commercials Lambton Right to Life partners with Alliance for Life Ontario‘s Reaching Minds Through Media Campaign.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers:
www.pregnancycenters.org
Listings for the United States, Canada, England, Australia and International centers.
Life Canada:
The National Pro-Life Educational Umbrella Group
Phone: 1.866.780-life (life = 5433)
www.lifecanada.orgnatural
Natural Family Planning:
Fertility Care
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition:
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Feminist for Life of America:
Feminists For Life
Did you know that the original feminist foremothers were pro-life? Feminism at it’s best!
Physicians for Life:
Canadian Physicians For Life
… affirming the Hippocratic tradition in medicine of “Do no Harm”, we are a non-profit, charitable organization of Canadian physicians dedicated to the respect and ethical treatment of every human being, regardless of age or infirmity.
Youth oriented pro-life web site:
Abort73.com