Norway tightens law after late abortions revealed
Norway tightens law after late abortions revealed
Norway is to tighten its abortion laws after it emerged that 17 foetuses were aborted after the 22-week limit between 2001 and 2011.
All the aborted pregnancies were in the 22nd or 23rd week. There have been no abortions later than 22 weeks since 2011, according to the figures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
The practice came to light after midwives at Oslo University Hospital (Rikshospitalet), alerted hospital managers to the abortion of a healthy foetus, nearly six months into the pregnancy. The hospital was concerned that the law had been broken and alerted Norwegian Directorate of Health, Norway’s healthcare regulator.
Staff at the hospital’s maternity unit had complained about the fact that they had to carry out such late abortions while also working with premature births.
The women in question were granted abortions on ‘social grounds’. This category includes women who have become pregnant due to incest or rape and those who are mentally ill.
http://www.thelocal.no/20140102/norway-to-tighten-law-after-late-abortions-revealed