NEWS SCAN

Even if the Supreme Court ordered the rape survivor from Mumbai to continue with her 24-week pregnancy, chances of the survival of the baby are extremely rare, medical experts revealed to dna.The rape survivor has filed a distress petition with the apex court seeking termination of pregnancy citing serious abnormalities with the foetus and the court has sought response of the Centre and the Maharashtra government over the issue. Speaking to dna, Dr Nikhil Datar, gynaecologist at Cloud Nine hospital said that the unborn child’s abnormality is extraordinarily serious and therefore it makes no sense to make the woman carry the child for another three months. Dr Datar was approached by the petitioner when she was 21-weeks pregnant and wanted his opinion about abortion.

“The foetus has serious developmental defect like anencephaly (absence of brain) and omphalocele (a rare abdominal wall defect). In this case, the abdominal wall is absent and the intestine is floating. There are cases where brain is under developed, but in this case it is totally absent. Even the abdominal wall condition is far more severe here,” said Datar. He opined that the chances of survival for this baby, even after full-term pregnancy, are extremely low; it could die in a few seconds, minutes or days.

In India, the Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 does not allow abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The National Commission of Women (NCW) had recommended to the union health ministry that abortions till the 24 week of pregnancy should be allowed. After which, in 2014, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare department proposed amendment to the present MTP Act. The proposed legislation, called The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2014, proposes to increase the abortion limit from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks.

As per the draft law, for which the ministry had sought public comments in 2014, the decision to allow abortion between 20 and 24 weeks can be taken “in good faith” by a healthcare provider if, among other conditions, the pregnancy involves substantial risks to the mother or child, or if it is “alleged by the pregnant woman to have been caused by rape”.

“It is the political apathy due to which the proposed amendment to MTP act have not yet been tabled and passed in the parliament. This situation is extremely dangerous for the whole of society. It is because the amendment is still on papers that we had to knock the doors of Supreme Court,” said Datar.

The woman is said to be from a poor background and the pregnancy was caused by rape on the promise of marriage by her fiancé who then deserted her and married another woman. She has filed rape charges against the man.

KEM hospital’s panel of doctors will be reviewing her health status on Saturday, said dean of KEM hospital. “As per the Supreme Court order, our doctors from radiology, gynaecology and other multispeciality departments will review her health status and accordingly submit the report to the Court,” said Dr Avinash Supe, dean.

Medical experts in India have been demanding that a few abnormalities should be included as a valid reason for MTP after 20 weeks and empower the woman to take the decision. “We always do a detailed sonography at 18 weeks of pregnancy to make sure there is no abnormality in the foetus, but some problems are picked up only after 20 weeks – in which case it is extremely traumatic for the mother and family to continue the pregnancy with the knowledge that the baby is abnormal. In many countries, the limit for abortion is upto 24 weeks or more in these unique situations,” said Dr Rishma Dhillon Pai,elected president FOGSI and gynaecologist at Lilavati hospital.

AS carried in DNA on 23.07.16