By Emily Jones
Three babies in Minnesota were born alive following abortion procedures last year, but died shortly after.
Minnesota’s Department of Heath detailed their deaths in a report released Monday regarding the abortion procedures that took place in 2018.
The report states:
For the calendar year of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, three (3) abortion procedures resulting in a born-alive infant were reported:
• In one instance, APGAR score was 1 at 1 and 5 minutes. There were anomalies incompatible with life. No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive.
• In one instance, comfort care measures were provided as planned and the infant did not survive.
• In one instance, the infant was previable. No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive.
An APGAR is a measure used to assess the physical condition of a newborn infant. APGAR stands for appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.
It is obtained by adding points for heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, response to stimulation, and skin coloration. A score of ten represents the most ideal condition.
One of the babies had a score of one, which means it had normal color (but its hands and feet had a blue hue), its heartbeat was below 100 bpm, it moved its face when stimulated, it could flex its arms and legs, and had slow or irregular breathing, or a weak cry.
Minnesota began tracking the number of children born alive in abortions after legislatures passed a pro-life law in 2015 called the “Born Alive Infants Protection Act.”
The law recognizes requires that “reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice shall be taken by the responsible medical personnel to preserve the life and health of the born alive infants.”
Since the law went into effect, Minnesota has reported 11 babies have survived abortions.