Fetal pain measure being heard

LINCOLN – New knowledge about when fetuses start feeling pain justifies moving up the line after which abortions should be banned, an anti-abortion law professor said Thursday.

Teresa Collett, from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., expressed confidence at a press conference that the U.S. Supreme Court would agree with her.

"It’s my opinion the court will consider this a sufficient state interest" to allow restrictions on abortions, she said.

Collett is expected to be among the witnesses at this afternoon’s hearing on Legislative Bill 1103.

The measure, introduced by Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood of Norfolk, would ban abortions at 20 weeks except for serious threats to a woman’ life or physical health.

The bill would go beyond what existing Supreme Court rulings have allowed. The court has said the government cannot unduly restrict a woman’s right to choose abortion before the point at which her fetus can survive outside the womb.

Fetuses typically reach viability at 24 weeks.

Dr. Ferdinand Salvacion, an anesthesiologist at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, said growing scientific evidence shows that fetuses have the ability to feel pain before that point.

His view was supported by Dr. Tom Grissom, medical director of the Advanced Pain Center of Alaska.

"From my perspective this is an issue of compassionate care," he said at the press conference.

However, a review of fetal pain literature by University of California-San Francisco physicians concluded that fetal perception of pain is unlikely before about 27 weeks.

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