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Digoxin, Feticide, and Abortion: A Mockery of Morality

The February 2012 issue of Contraception, The Official Journal of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the Society of Family Planning, has a research study that investigated the safety of using digoxin for fetal demise before second-trimester abortion by dilation and evacuation (D&E). Digoxin is a powerful heart medication that when injected into the fetus will ensure fetal demise. The reason that digoxin is used is to make sure that the abortionist does not have to deal with a live fetus/baby in case for some reason the fetus/baby should happen to spontaneously abort. This method was recommended by lawyers at hospitals that offer second trimester abortions. The lawyers were recommending this procedure to deal with the mandate of the 2007 Supreme Court decision of Gonzales v. Carhart that upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003.
However, the study by researchers from Planned Parenthood, the University of Illinois, and the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, found that the procedures resulted in significantly more infections, hospital admissions, and spontaneous abortions compared to those pregnant women who just received the non-digoxin feticide. They recommend further studies, but also suggested that it would be safer for the pregnant woman to not use the digoxin method.
A commentary article accompanying the study mentioned that from a moral standpoint that the digoxin method violates the principles of patient beneficence, autonomy, and justice. They also suggested ways of getting around the partial birth abortion act by documenting that the abortionist did not “intend” to have a live birth and having the abortionist cut the umbilical cord while the baby is still in the womb. This display of supposed morality seems to be a charade and a sense that they can play the game of morality for their own benefit and feelings that they are doing the good. There is no sense that abortion at that stage of human development and having to dismember, cut umbilical cords, and/or inject digoxin into a beating heart is not somehow abhorrent and a mockery of the healing professions.

Richard Fehring

Richard J. Fehring, DNSc, RN, is a Professor of Nursing and Director of the Marquette University Institute for Natural Family Planning. He received his masters and doctorate in nursing science from Catholic University of America and a baccalaureate in biology and nursing from Marquette University. He has published over eighty articles and book chapters in such journals as Fertility and Sterility, Contraception, Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, and the Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Neonatal Nursing. Professor Fehring is the writer and editor of Current Medical Research (CMR) in natural family planning, a publication of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is the President of the Marquette University Chapter. His website can be found at: http://www.marquette.edu/nursing/Faculty.