I received a message from a fellow Catholic who is currently in a discussion with a pro-choice advocate regarding the topic of abortion. He is asking for an insight on how to respond to the argument presented by the Pro-Choice side which advocated the “The brain-life theory” argument in support of abortion. To give you an overview the “The brain-life theory” is an outdated concept developed by Dr. John M. Goldenring in 1985. Pro-Choice advocates do not hesitate to use every kind of argument regardless whether it is supported by facts science or not just to advance their personal interests. Dr. Goldenring is a pediatrician from New York Medical College. His research regarding the “Brain-life theory” was an entry into the Journal of Medical Ethics. In his paper he said;
For over a decade, I have advocated a third position between an at-conception theory of biological humanness and the viability theory (2,3). Called the ‘brain-life theory’ this view suggests that the fetus is biologically a human being at thepointat which its brain begins to function. J M Goldenring, The Brain-Life Theory: towards a consistent biological definition of humanness, Journal of Medical Ethics, p. 198-204, 1985
The theory suggests that a fetus can only be considered as a “human being” if brain activity can already be detected which occurs during 5th or 6th weeks of gestation, until then the fetus is not considered a human being but just a clump of cells. This line of thinking made its way into Pro-choice circles and is use as an argument to promote and defend abortion.
Life ends when brain activity stops. Therefore, life begins when brain activity is observed. According to medical books, brain activity is observed after 20 weeks (5 months) pregnancy. Therefore, prior to this period of time, the fetus is just a lump of cells, hence not alive. Therefore, it is not murder when abortion is done before brain activity is observed. Pro-Choice Argument
While it is true that a person is declared “biologically dead” when his brain’s neural activity stops as evidence by complete cessation of cardio-pulmonary and skeletomuscular functions; and that fetal brain activity is detectable at 5th or 6th weeks of gestation. There is a gross misapplication of facts when the measurement for life of adults is use to measure the presence of life in a fetus. Fundamentally, the adult human being and a fetus have the same chromosomal setup, they only differ in form and not in nature. The adult human being has a fully developed and mature organs whereas the fetus is in its development stage. In assessing the life of a fetus we do not use the same criteria we used in adults, for adults we assess for the presence of brain activity by the use of electroencephalogram or by assessing for his skeletomuscular response through Glasgow coma scale and cardiological function with an electrocardiogram.
The methods we use to assessed for the presence or absence of life in an adult human being cannot be used to assess for the presence and absence of life of a fetus. Health care professionals have a different way to assess the life of a fetus depending on its stage of development.
Fetal development is divided into three stages, and each stage is assess differently for the presence of life and proper growth and development.
1st Trimester – Conception to 12th week of pregnancy
Signs of fetal life:
- From a microscopic fertilized egg at 4th week the fetus is about 1/25 inches long (A sign of physiologic development)
- At 8th weeks all major organs begun to form and fetal heartbeat can be heard using a fetal doppler (A clump of cells life malignant tumors do not produce a heartbeat)
- Ultrasound detects that the fetus is growing and developing at rate expected
- At 12 weeks fetal gender can now be identified (Benign and malignant clumps of cells do not have genders)
2nd Trimester – 13th weeks to 28th weeks
Signs of life:
- Fetal bowel movement is detected
- Baby begins sucking motion with his mouth
- Baby is 4-5 inches long and weights 3 ounces
- “quickening” movements independently made by the baby is felt by the mother
- The baby can hear and swallow
3rd Trimester – 29th week to birth
Signs of life:
- Movement increases
- Opens and close eyes
- Body fat increases
- Sleep cycle
The absence and presence of fetal life is assess by means of measuring its growth and development. A fetus is considered as “biologically dead” if growth and development can no longer be detected. For instance at 8th week fetal heartbeat should be heard if there is an absence of it fetal development is either delayed or there is complete cessation of development, fetus have died.
The difference between a clump of cells a fetus is strikingly obvious. A fetus at a stage where neural brain activity has not yet develop cannot be labelled as a “clump of cells” because he/she already contains elements akin to a human being and not a clump of cells like that of a benign and malignant tumor. The American College of Pediatricians affirms the scientific fact that life begins at conception.
The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception—fertilization. At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop. The difference between the individual in its adult stage and in its zygotic stage is one of form, not nature. American College of Pediatricians, Position Paper – Life Issues, March 2017
Therefore, aborting a fetus at a stage where neural activity has not yet develop is still murder and unacceptable.
The Catholic Truth Society 