Pregnant moms who contract the Zika virus are facing growing pressure to abort their unborn babies because of a link between the virus and birth defects. But some moms in the U.S. are refusing to give into the pressure and throw away their babies’ lives.
This week, Texas authorities said a woman who contracted the virus in Latin America gave birth to a baby with microcephaly in their state. The Daily Mail reports the woman and her baby, who authorities did not name, are believed to be the fourth birth linked to Zika and microcephaly in the U.S.
At least three other babies may have been aborted in the U.S. after their mothers contracted Zika, according to a Centers for Disease Control report in June.
The virus has been linked to birth defects in newborns, one being microcephaly. The brain disorder is not typically fatal, but it can cause health problems throughout the child’s life. Abortion advocates have been using the link as an excuse to push for more abortions on babies with disabilities.
Here’s more from the report:
It is not known whether the [Texas] woman was a permanent resident of Brazil, or whether she entered this country illegally before giving birth.
Another child was born with microcephaly in New Jersey in June after its mother flew in from Honduras specifically for treatment.
The 31-year-old woman visited a doctor in Honduras after suffering a rash and a fever – both symptoms of Zika – but after an ultrasound she was told she would be fine.
She was eventually diagnosed with Zika in Honduras before she traveled to New Jersey, where she has relatives, Fox News Latino reported.
… A report released last month said that a third child had been born elsewhere in American with Zika-caused microcephaly, though it is not clear where or when, or whether the mother is a citizen.
A fourth Zika-affected child was born later the same month in Florida to a Haitian woman who traveled to this country in order to give birth.
LifeNews reported in May about another U.S. mom who chose life for her baby, despite being infected with Zika. Connecticut teen Sara Mujica believes her unborn baby’s life is a miracle. The young mother said she plans to give birth to her baby no matter whether he or she has a disability. When Mujica was 15, she had meningitis, and doctors told her that she would never be able to get pregnant, she said.
“… so this is a big miracle for me,” she said of her unborn child.
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In May, the CDC reported knowing of at least 300 pregnant women in the U.S. who are infected with the virus. Zika, which is carried by mosquitoes, already is a major problem in South and Central American countries, and experts predict that southern states in the U.S. will see even more cases this summer.
The cost of treating babies with disabilities is being tossed around with the suggestions that pregnant women with Zika have abortions. The cost of medical treatments for a person with microcephaly through their lifetime is estimated at between $1 million and $10 million, according to the CDC.
Research on the link between the virus and birth defects continues. Currently, “researchers estimate that for every 100 pregnancies involving women infected early in their pregnancy, 1 percent to 15 percent will develop severe birth defects,” according to the AP.
Abortions are being pushed on women who contract the virus, despite problems with diagnosing Zika and microcephaly. Health authorities say people who are infected with Zika do not necessarily show symptoms of the virus; and when they do, their symptoms can look like other illnesses. Similarly, conditions like microcephaly often are not diagnosed until unborn babies are at least 20 weeks along in the womb.
This means women who have or think they have Zika could be pressured to have early abortions without knowing whether their baby really has the disorder. If the moms wait until they are more certain of their unborn baby’s diagnosis, they could be pressured to have a dangerous, late-term abortion when their unborn babies are viable outside the womb.
Pro-lifers believe that no matter whether an unborn baby is healthy or sick, the baby deserves to live. The fact that abortion activists believe people with disabilities like microcephaly should be targeted for abortion also is concerning to many disability rights advocates, even some who support abortion.
