Defining when life begins and ends (let’s just get rid of it before it costs me any more money).

Texas mom Marlise Munoz who was taken off life support by her husband despite being pregnant with their second child.

In the wake of the mother’s life that was terminated with her unborn baby left unborn (the hospital was forced by court order[1]), I've been wondering at two debates we've recently been hearing in the news:

1. When does life begin?

2. When does it end?

I heard a number of pundits say Munoz’s fetus was not viable outside the womb and so the decision to take her off life support was not legally related to the baby in her uterus.

But when is viability a criteria for life? There are many adults who are unviable without an umbilicus or some sort (dialysis, blood transfusions, antibiotics, insulin, etc).

If both a heartbeat and brain activity determine life outside the womb, why is that criteria not used for life inside the womb? From what I understand, a heartbeat is detectable at 21 days, and brain activity at 40 days[2].

You can’t have it both ways.

And of course, those two questions have little meaning outside our intent to maintain and preserve life (or not).

[2014-01-28]

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Someone who made a different decision:

Husband Keeps “Brain Dead” Pregnant Wife Alive to Allow Son to be Born >

[2014-02-05]

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[1]

"Texas mom Marlise Munoz was taken off life support machines and put in her family’s care on Jan. 26. Though she had told her husband she never wanted to be kept lingering on life support, Texas doctors refused to disconnect her after she was declared brain dead because she was pregnant with the pair’s second child."  Source >

[2]

There are different numbers available for these events, but most of them are close to these. Thank you Dave Miles for introducing me to this information.

c0