LONDON — The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has commented in the light of the recently-reported birth of a child who was selected at embryo stage for his suitability to provide tissue to treat his four-year-old brother.
John Smeaton, SPUC's national director, said: “While our hearts go out to everybody involved, and we welcome Jamie Whitaker's birth, there are profound issues of concern here. Human beings who were not the perfect match were simply discarded and a child has been created with the primary purpose of benefiting his elder brother. This does not conform to Jamie's human dignity.
“Jamie's mother said that, as she held her new baby, she was holding UK history. What matters, though, is that he is a human with a right to live — a right denied to his embryonic brothers and sisters. Indeed, what happened to his unwanted embryonic siblings? Were they flushed down the sink? Frozen? Used for experiments?”
According to reports, Jamie Whitaker was born in south Yorkshire on Monday. His British parents went to Chicago for the procedure because it was not allowed in Britain. Charlie, Jamie's brother, has the rare diamond blackfan anaemia. Reports differ on the possible outcome and treatment of the condition, some saying that tissue-based therapy is essential for survival while others state that Charlie is being kept alive with five injections per week.
New Zealand 2002 Abortion Statistics Released
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — The abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years) rose from 19.1 in 2001 to 20.0 per 1,000 in 2002, according to Statistics New Zealand. There were 17,400 abortions performed in New Zealand during the December 2002 year, about 1,000 or 6 percent more than in 2001 (16,400).
The age group 20-24 years remains the most common age for abortions, accounting for approximately 3 out of 10 abortions in 2002. Women in this age group had the highest abortion rate of any age group (38.9 abortions per 1,000), followed by those aged 25-29 years (26.6 per 1,000) and teenagers aged 15-19 years (25.7 per 1,000). Over the last decade, abortion rates have increased for all age groups, though by varying amounts. Between 2001 and 2002, the abortion rate for teenagers increased by 8 percent, while that for women aged 20-24 years increased by 5 percent. The average age of women having an abortion in 2002 was 26.3 years, compared with 26.5 years in 2001.
(This update courtesy of LifeSite News.)
