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August 2002
Across Canada and Around the World
In-vitro fertilization dangerous
A victory for cloning opponents
Sanitary pad 'silenced patient'
Keeping minors' abortions secret
Robinson meddles in adoption debate
Family wants answers
In-vitro fertilization dangerous
VIENNA, Austria - The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology warned couples recently not to be hasty in starting in-vitro fertilization treatment. Research has shown that many women who fail to conceive after a year of trying will naturally become pregnant in the next 12 months. "Fertility treatment can result in an increased risk of multiple pregnancies, pregnancy complications, low birth weight, major birth defects and long-term disability among surviving infants," cautioned Dr. David Dunson, of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science in North Carolina. The study looked at 25,000 women who had assisted reproduction treatment between 1986 and 1998. Of these pregnancies, 18,235 were singletons, 11,905 were twins and 1,772 triplets. Nine out of 10 triplets and four out of 10 twins were born premature, compared to eight per cent of single babies. Furthermore, deaths were five times as frequent for triplets than for single babies, as a result of IVF treatment.
A victory for cloning opponents
WASHINGTON - The New York Times recently reported that the President's Council on Bioethics has endorsed a moratorium on therapeutic cloning and a ban on reproductive cloning. Ten of the panel's 18 members supported a four-year moratorium on therapeutic cloning, while seven members recommended that therapeutic cloning research be allowed to proceed under government regulations. The majority of the panel wrote, "A moratorium, rather than a lasting ban, signals a high regard for the value of biomedical research and an enduring concern for patients and their families whose suffering such research may help alleviate." According to the Times, the council's announcement bolsters the case of anti-cloning advocates who are pressing the U.S. Senate to pass legislation outlawing the practice. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D - South Dakota) has promised a vote on the issue, but the Senate has yet to consider such legislation.
Sanitary pad 'silenced patient'
BRISBANE, Australia - The Courier Mail reports anesthetist Dawn Cullen told a coroners inquest that her former colleague, abortionist Peter Bayliss, had once left a patient tied to a bed with a sanitary pad stuffed in her mouth in order to keep her quiet. She also said she spiked Bayliss's coffee with drugs to calm him during his "temper tantrums," which she reported "terrified" patients. A previous inquest found that Bayliss's death was the result of a heart attack, but prosecutors believe he may have been killed.
Keeping minors' abortions secret
PERTH, Australia - The West Australian reports that the West Australia state children's court has, since 1998, approved abortions for all 26 girls under the age of 16 who sought judicial permission for the procedure. The youngest was 14. State law says that a minor must get a court order or inform her parent or guardian of the abortion. Children's rights advocates note that sex with a child under 16 is a criminal offence, and approval of an application for an order to preclude parental involvement could be seen as covering up a criminal act, such as sexual assault or incest. Pro-life groups worry that parents are not able to help their children deal with the aftermath of abortion.
Robinson meddles in adoption debate
MONCTON, N.B. - New Democrat MP Svend Robinson, speaking as parade marshall in Moncton's Gay Pride Week, called upon New Brunswick to follow Nova Scotia and Quebec in allowing same-sex partners to adopt children. "As long as our relationships and our families are not recognized as fully equal, we will not rest, we will continue to fight for full equality," said the notorious publicity-seeker, who uses equality language to promote the homosexualization of society.
Family wants answers
MONTREAL, Que. - Rachel Capra Craig, who last year killed a daughter suffereing from Rett syndrome, has committed suicide. Craig was granted an unsupervised leave from the psychiatric ward of the Lakeshore General hospital in Montreal. A judge had ruled she was unfit to stand trial because of her mental condition. She was receiving psychiatric treatment at Lakeshore. Craig's sister, Stella, said she was not cured and should not have been released on a day pass because she attempted to take her own life just three weeks before. The family has spoken to a lawyer and is considering suing the hospital.
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