What is Partial-Birth Abortion?

Brenda Shafer, a registered nurse who witnessed a partial-birth abortion procedure while working for Martin Haskell, an Ohio abortionist,wrote in a letter to Congressman Tony Hall that witnessing the procedure was "the most horrible experience of my life." She described watching one baby:

Th baby's body was moving. His fingers were clasping together. He was kicking his feet. All the while his little head was still stuck inside. Dr. Haskell took a pair of scissors and inserted them into the back of the baby's head. Then opened the scissors up. Then he stuck the high-powered suction tube into the hole and sucked the baby's brains out.
Next, Dr. Haskell delivered the baby's head, cut the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta.


Haskell Presents D&X aka Partial-birth abortion
Th surgeon introduces a large grasping forceps*** through the vaginal and cervical canals into the corpus of the uterus. *** When the instrument appears on the sonogram screem, the surgeon is able to open and close its jaws to firmly and reliably grasp a lower extremity [leg].The surgeon then applies firm traction to the instrument *** and pulls the extremity into the vagina. ***
With a lower extremity in the vagina, the surgeon uses his fingers to deliver the opposite lower extremity, then the torso, the shoulders and the upper extremities [arms].
The skull lodges at the internal cervical os.
At this point, the right-handed surgeon slides the fingers of the left hand [sic] along the back of the fetus and "hooks" the shoulders of the fetus with the index and ring fingers(palm down).
While maintaining this tension, lifting the cervix and applying traction to the shoulders with the fingers of the left hand, the surgeon takes a pair of blunt curved Metzenbaum scissors in the right hand. He carefully advances the tip, curved down, along the spine and under his middle finger until he feels it contact the base of the skull under the tip of his middle finger.
[T]he surgeon then forces the scissors into the base of the skull or into the foramen magnum. Having safely entered the skull, he spreads the scissors to enlarge the opening.
The surgeon removes the scissors and introduces a suction catheter into this hole and evacuates the skull contents. With the catheter still in place, he applies traction to the fetus, removing it completely from the patient.

Source: Martin Haskell,M.D.. "Dilation and Extraction for Late Second Trimester Abortions," Presented at the National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar (September 13, 1992),in Second Trimester Abortion: From Every Angle, 1992,at pages 27, 30-31.




Gestational Ages of Babies involved in PBA
THE PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION PROCEDURE IS PERFORMED FROM AROUND 20 WEEKS TO FULL TERM.

Martin Haskell told the AMNews that the vast majority of the partial-birth abortions he performs are elective. He stated (to AMNews), "And I'll be quite frank: most of my abortions are elective in that 20-24 week range.*** In my particular case, probably 20% are for genetic reasons. And the other 80% are purely elective.***"

The late James McMahon used the partial-birth abortion method through the entire 40 weeks of pregnancy. He claimed that most of the abortions he performed were "non-elective," but his definition of "non-elective" was extremely broad. McMahon sent a letter to the Constitution Subcommittee in which he described abortions performed because of the mother's youth or depression as "non-elective." On a graph, McMahon listed, among other things, nine partial-birth abortions performed because the baby had a cleft lip.


ABORTION INDUSTRY LIES ABOUT PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION

Ron Fitzsimmons, the executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, said he intentionally misled in previous remarks.He said on "Nightline"(November 1995) on ABC THAT HE "LIED THROUGH MY TEETH" WHEN HE SAID THE PROCEDURE WAS USED RARELY AND ONLY ON WOMEN WHOSE LIVES WERE IN DANGER OR WHOSE FETUSES WERE DAMAGED.