As we have said on several occasions, it has always been thought that newborns were unable to feel pain, since their neurological system is very immature at the time they are born. It is now known that this is not true and it has even been shown that premature babies are stressed and disturbed by manipulations (temperature changes, touching, moving, etc.) and for this reason nurses try to make the least possible interventions.
It seems that pain is not exclusive to babies already born, since it is suspected that fetuses may feel pain even after a few weeks of gestation. It is not something that is scientifically proven, however it is observed that with physical contact there is a retraction of the fetus, which could be indicative of suffering.
It is for this reason that Anesthesia is being requested for fetuses when an abortion is to be performed, in anticipation that they really felt pain.
In addition to what has been said, it has been discovered that the nervous system of babies begins to develop earlier than previously thought, since neuronal cells begin to form in the third week of pregnancy, a fact that would give more weight to the belief that fetuses are capable of feeling pain.
Natalia López Moratalla, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Navarra explains it as follows:
There is not enough data to prove that these creatures suffer when an abortion is performed, but there are indications that they do. It is shown that, with physical contact, there is a retraction of the unborn, as a reflex. It is a humanitarian issue for doctors to anesthetize fetuses in anticipation of feeling pain.
The anesthesia that is applied to the mother, in case anyone asks, has no effect on the fetus, since the anesthesia that is applied is local and therefore only acts on women. For this reason the possibility of applying anesthesia to the fetus is also being considered.
I don't know what you think about it. Personally, I consider that it is a great advance to use anesthesia when an interruption of pregnancy is to be practiced, especially if it is confirmed that the fetus is capable of feeling pain, however, on the other hand, the mere fact of applying it confirms that “it it does so that it does not suffer ”, contributing to the fetus a social and biological value that the mother does not take into account and that probably does not want to have.
