June | July 2020

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWS JUNE JULY 2020 Letter from the President This situation has highlighted the fact that we are dealing with the same baby before and after birth, and Dear Friends of Life, Many of you will recall one of our clinical approach to these children is simply a matter the greatest pro-lifers who did so of whether we can look after them more safely and much for the cause of the unborn. adequately in the uterus or out of it. Indeed many of you may not The techniques we developed for the diagnosis and have heard of him at all. supervision and treatment of Rh babies before birth I speak here of the late Professor have now been widely exploited for the investigation Margaret Tighe Sir William Liley (1929– of other problems and, further, they have provided an 83): New Zealand Perinatal opportunity to invade the privacy of the fetus and to Physiologist – a great New Zealander – known as the make many observations of a variety of aspects of fetal ‘Father of Foetology.’ life and behavior. Professor Liley did so much to save the lives of the unborn through the development of a means of treating, I would like to submit in written testimony an article in the womb, babies suffering from RH disease. Not entitled “The Foetus as a Personality” from the only that though he travelled the world speaking on Australia-New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Aust. many pro-life platforms in defence of the unborn. I was NZ.J.Psychiatry (1972) 6 99 bit.ly/2W0AE96 privileged to have met him on a few occasions. Several important points emerge from the experience I In life have had in the field of perinatal medicine. Firstly, it is Margaret Tighe, PRESIDENT obvious that the fetus can need and receive diagnosis and treatment just like any other patient. As one who “THE UNBORN CHILD AS A PATIENT” has to look after babies before birth, I would find it By Professor Sir William Liley (1929–83): NZ Perinatal extraordinarily arbitrary to be asked to consider that one Physiologist baby was important and should be cared for properly, and that another was unimportant and that his existence (US National Committee for a Human Life Amendment should be denied. Inc. WASHINGTON D.C. 20036 [1974]. Secondly, physiological observations and investigations The US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional demonstrate that the fetus is not a placid, dependent, Amendments held hearings on 7 May 1974 on proposed fragile, nerveless vegetable, but very much in command constitutional amendments to protect the unborn child. of his own environment and destiny with a tenacious The full text of Dr. Liley’s testimony submitted at that purpose. time is reproduced herein. “My name is Albert William Liley. I am a registered It is the fetus who is responsible for the endocrine medical practitioner in New success of pregnancy, who solves the homograft problem Zealand. I hold the appointment in pregnancy, who of Research Professor in determines how he Perinatal Physiology at the will lie in pregnancy Post-graduate School of and present in labor, Obstetrics and Gynecology of and who determines the University of Auckland, the duration of the New Zealand. I have trained in pregnancy. Normally, neurophysiology, obstetrics, and the onset of labor is a pediatrics, and clinically I have unilateral decision by worked as a fetal pediatrician the fetus. “I recall Professor Liley telling Albert William Liley me on one occasion that the (1929-1983) for most of the last seventeen Thirdly, it is apparent years. that the classical youngest baby he had transfused in the womb was 16 weeks.” Ed. This work began with the development of techniques for picture of fetal life as a the antenatal diagnosis of the severity of Rh hemolytic time of quiescence, of disease, and in 1963, I developed a method by which quietly and blindly developing structures in anticipation Rh babies beyond the aid of conventional therapy could of a life and function to begin at birth, is completely be given transfusions in utero to tide them over to a erroneous. deliverable maturity. Continued on page 2 Donate: Commonwealth BSB 063 -111 Account no 1010 9208 or online RIGHT TO LIFE NEWS Continued from page 1 Development of structure and development of function go hand-in-hand; the fetal environment is not a dark and silent world, and the fetus does not live in a state of sensory deprivation. The picture we have built up of fetal environment and fetal behavior is described in the article which I have submitted for testimony. My own practice in medicine makes it very dear that in modern obstetrics, we are caring for two individuals, mother and baby. Indeed, it may be more than two individuals, as in a multiple pregnancy, and in this situation, we have found it clinically necessary to identify unmistakably and keep track of each of the babies in a multiple pregnancy before birth. Professor Liley at an anti-abortion rally in Wellington, NZ, Not only is it apparent that an illness such as Rh disease 1974. Beside him are (from left) Dr Diana Mason, Ruth may represent the same problem for the same patient before and after birth, but a similar continuity is demonstrable Kirk (wife of Prime Minister Norman Kirk) and Archbishop for behavior traits. For instance, measurement of fetal Reginald Delargey. bit.ly/2YyCe3w swallowing rate in utero shows considerable variation However, new techniques such as the use of ultra- from one baby to another, but these rates correlate closely sound, are enabling us to push these observations back with the independently assessed feeding performance of into the first half of fetal life. In any case, the fact that the newborn in the nursery. these fetal responses were already intact by the time Further, some babies suck their thumbs in utero and our former techniques of observation were applicable some do not; but we have never observed a baby shows that these responses must have developed who sucked his thumb in utero who was not also a earlier, and indeed from brief observations on the early thumbsucker after birth. miscarried fetus, such as the classical studies in the We have x-ray evidence of thumbsucking in utero at United States by Davenport Hooker, we know that early 24 weeks gestation, but thumbsucking has also been fetal responsiveness was only quantitatively, and not photographed in the 9-week abortus. qualitatively, different from the early to the later stages of pregnancy.” The fetus is also responsive to experimental modification of the taste of amniotic fluid. Injection of oily contrast Post script: Both Liley and his wife Helen were active media (a foul-tasting iodinated poppy seed oil) causes pro-life activists. Professor Liley became distressed that the fetus to quit drinking or swallowing; conversely, amniocentesis became a tool for parents to decide to artificially sweetening the amniotic fluid with saccharine abort their unborn child. He was also concerned that usually causes an approximate doubling of fetal doctors used the needle procedure he had pioneered swallowing rate, although a minority drink decidedly for life-saving transfusions to administer saline for less after saccharine injection. abortions. We are interested in following these children and Professor Liley, together with Dr Pat Dunn, Obstetric checking saccharine tasting when they are older, as specialist and foundation member, and Ken Orr (now it is well known that to some people saccharine in of Right to Life New Zealand) formed the Society for concentration is not tasted as sweet, but intensely bitter. the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUCNZ) in 1970 The fetus is responsive to touch and pressure, and in response to the creation of the Abortion Law Reform sustained pressure will produce evasive action which, Association. (NB. SPUCNZ is now Voice for Life). in fact, can be utilized when we wish to modify fetal In 1978, Pope Paul VI recognised Professor Liley for his position for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. pro-life work and, although not a Catholic, appointed The fetus responds violently to painful stimuli, for him to the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences. instance, needle puncture and the intrafetal injection of Sir William Liley died unexpectedly on 15 June 1983. cold or concentrated solutions. At his funeral, officiated by both Roman Catholic and Our observations of many of these aspects of fetal Anglican churches’ highest leaders, he was recognised behavior have been made after 18 weeks gestation for two for his extraordinary contribution to saving the lives of reasons: 1) this has been the time span when the clinical the unborn with his pioneering medical techniques. The problems with which we deal have permitted us to invade President of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn fetal privacy; and 2) many of our diagnostic techniques, Child NZ – Mr Peter Barry-Martin – said at the time for instance, x-ray and fetal electrocardiography, are “the world pro-life movement mourns the death of one applicable only in later pregnancy. of its most powerful advocates”. 2 RIGHT TO LIFE AUSTRALIA RIGHT TO LIFE NEWS A tragic story enacted in Canberra Hospital Canberra Hospital can turn off life support for 20-week pregnant woman despite wishes of baby’s father, court rules Extract of Article - ABC news by Elizabeth Byrne 28 May 2020 The Canberra Hospital has turned off life support for a 20-week pregnant Canberra woman, despite frantic court action brought by the baby’s father. Chief Justice Helen Murrell said there was no suggestion • ACT Chief Justice Helen Murrell found the ACT the Canberra Hospital intended to deceive anyone.

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