Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 19, 2020 / 11:10 am
A new survey of neonatal medical professionals in the Belgian region of Flanders has found that nearly nine out of ten approve of euthanizing newborn children diagnosed with serious, non-lethal, medical conditions.
The article, titled, "Healthcare professionals' attitudes towards termination of pregnancy at viable stage" was published in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica on August 2. The research was funded by the Research Foundation Flanders and Ghent University.
The researchers mailed a survey to physicians and paramedical professionals who are involved in "late termination of pregnancy decision-making" at each of Flanders' eight neonatal intensive care units. Flanders is a region in northern Belgium.
The term "late termination of pregnancy" (TOP) refers to abortions that take place past the point of fetal viability. Abortion is legal in Belgium until the 12th week of a pregnancy, unless there are fetal defects or a risk to the life of the mother.