PRESS: Abortion after misdiagnosis must not become acceptable collateral damage says Life Institute 

The Life Institute has said babies aborted after a misdiagnosis of a severe abnormality must not become "collateral damage" in the rush to establish a new regime after the repeal of the 8th amendment. 

Spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain was speaking in the wake of revelations that a baby aborted in the National Maternity Hospital on the grounds of "fatal abnormality" was subsequently found not to have had the condition suspected. 

"This is a shocking, horrifying case - and its a mistake that cannot be rectified," Ms Uí Bhriain said. "Nothing will bring that baby back to its devastated family, and the inquiry into what happened needs to establish why the family felt they shouldn't wait for the results of the more accurate test to come back. Babies with a severe condition can be aborted until birth under the new legislation so time pressure did not come from the law. Did it come from another source in the hospital. We need to know if it did." 

"It would be entirely unacceptable if babies aborted after a misdiagnosis became mere collateral damage to the HSE or the government. Pro-life groups warned this would happen in the referendum and we were shouted down, but what steps did Simon Harris take to ensure this would not happen?," she asked. 

"The abortion legislation is in place less than 5 months and we are already seeing these horror stories emerge. This family is devastated, and there may be others. We cannot allow this to continue. There must be safeguards to ensure families are not rushed into aborting baby, and positive alternatives such as perinatal hospice care must be promoted," the pro-life spokeswoman said.  

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