Texans warned of Abortion-Cerebral Palsy link

WorldNetDaily: Texas warns of abortion-cerebral palsy link

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      Tuesday, December 30, 2003

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      MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
      Texas warns of abortion-cerebral palsy link
      Becomes 1st state to tell women of procedure's connection to disease

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      Posted: December 30, 2003
      1:00 a.m. Eastern

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      © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
      The state of Texas is now informing women considering an abortion
that the procedure boosts the risk of delivering a future baby with
cerebral palsy.

      According to the Reduce Preterm Risk Coalition in Vancouver,
Canada, Texas is the first state in the nation to officially make such
a warning.

      A state law, the Woman's Right to Know Act, requires all doctors
to make available certain information to women contemplating an
abortion. Included is the booklet "A Woman's Right to Know," published
by the Texas Department of Health, which contains the warning about
cerebral palsy and other diseases for which premature babies are at
high risk.

      "Some large studies have reported a doubling of the risk of
premature birth in later pregnancy if a woman has had two induced
abortions," the booklet reads. "The same studies report an 800
percent increase in the risk of extremely early premature births
for a woman who has experienced four or more induced abortions. Very
premature babies, who have the highest risk of death, also have the
highest risk for lasting disabilities, such as mental retardation,
cerebral palsy, lung and gastrointestinal problems, and vision and
hearing loss."

      Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to one or more specific
areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development or
during infancy. It affects movement and posture.

      The Texas booklet also mentions the established link between
abortion and breast cancer:

      "Your chances of getting breast cancer are affected by your
pregnancy history. If you have carried a pregnancy to term as a young
woman, you may be less likely to get breast cancer in the future.
However, you do not get the same protective effect if your pregnancy
is ended by an abortion. The risk may be higher if your first
pregnancy is aborted."

      As WorldNetDaily reported, scientists authoring a study
examining a variety of physical and psychological consequences
associated with abortion have recommended women be informed about
the abortion-breast cancer link.

      Dr. John M. Thorpe, an epidemiologist at the University of
North Carolina's School of Public Health, and his colleagues called
for physicians to inform women about increased breast cancer risk
associated with induced abortion and about the existence of research
examining abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer.

      "A young woman with an unintended pregnancy clearly sacrifices
the protective effect of a term delivery should she decide to abort
and delay childbearing," wrote the authors. "Thus, we conclude that
informed consent before induced abortion should include information
about the subsequent risk of preterm delivery and depression."

      Related stories:

      Study: Tell women about abortion-breast cancer link

      Can doctors be sued over abortion?

      Abortion-cancer link goes on trial

      Parties in abortion-breast cancer lawsuit settle

      Abortion-breast cancer link still ignored

      More evidence linking abortion, breast cancer

      Abortion-cancer link goes to court

      Redbook magazine bending the truth?

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