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AirTalk

Do fetuses feel pain?

By AirTalk Staff
Published Jul 2, 2013
There is still debate in the medical community on whether or not a fetus feels pain.
There is still debate in the medical community on whether or not a fetus feels pain.
(
Trevor Blair/Flickr
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Listen 15:56
Do fetuses feel pain?
The question over fetal pain has re-energized the abortion debate. Since last year, 11 states including Nebraska, Kansas and Idaho have passed legislations banning abortion 20 weeks after fertilization, based on the argument that fetuses can feel pain at that point.

The question over fetal pain has re-energized the abortion debate. Since last year, 11 states including Nebraska, Kansas and Idaho have passed legislations banning abortion 20 weeks after fertilization, based on the argument that fetuses can feel pain at that point. The Texas legislature is the latest state in the country to consider such a ban.

Critics say the science behind the slew of fetal pain bills is iffy at best. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said there's "no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain."

Guests:

Dr. Emidio Novembre , an anesthesiologist

Stuart Derbyshire, Associate Professor of Psychology at the National University of Singapore