AAPLOG, along with our partners at the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), recently published a new Practice Guideline titled “Fetal Pain Facts and the Informed Consent Conundrum.” Authored by several authors on the research teams of both organizations, this document explores the latest scientific evidence surrounding the capability of a preborn child to feel pain, and the ethical implications of these findings.
Despite outdated claims from major medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), anatomic and behavioral evidence suggests that the fetus is capable of pain awareness by 15-20 weeks gestational age, and possibly as early as 12 weeks. We review the published research on fetal responses to noxious stimuli, and refute the faulty claims from ACOG, RCOG, and SMFM that fetuses are not capable of distinguishing between painful and non-painful stimulation in early stages of development.
As discussed in the document, accurate information about the ability of fetal human beings to feel pain has ethical implications as well:
Every major medical organization recognizes that prevention and treatment of pain is a human right, yet not all extend this right to the human fetus. Conveying the facts about fetal pain is important not only for treating the preborn and premature, but also for pregnant women and society. Accurate facts are integral to obtaining informed consent, and these facts impact women’s decisions regarding abortion.
The new guideline is available on our website.
