Results for partial-birth abortion
On this page:
 
Medical Encyclopedia:

Abortion, Partial Birth

Definition

Partial birth abortion is a method of late-term abortion that terminates a pregnancy and results in the death and intact removal of a fetus. This procedure is most commonly referred to as intact dilatation and extraction (D & X).

Description

Intact D&X, or partial birth abortion first involves administration of medications to cause the cervix to dilate, usually over the course of several days. Next, the physician rotates the fetus to a footling breech position. The body of the fetus is then drawn out of the uterus feet first, until only the head remains inside the uterus. Then, the physician uses an instrument to puncture the base of the skull, which collapses the fetal head. Typically, the contents of the fetal head are then partially suctioned out, which results in the death of the fetus, and reduces the sizes of the fetal head enough to allow it to pass through the cervix. The dead and otherwise intact fetus is then removed from the woman's body.

— Stefanie B. N. Dugan, M.S.



 
 
Dictionary: par·tial-birth abortion  (pär'shəl-bûrth')
n.

A late-term abortion, especially one in which a viable fetus is partially delivered through the cervix before being extracted. Not in technical use.


 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "partial-birth abortion" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Medical Encyclopedia. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more

Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!  
Click here to download now. 

Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In: