Neonatologist decries Massachusetts law allowing abortions up to birth
Dr. Robin Pierucci, a neonatology specialist, called Massachusetts' new abortion law that removes the 24-week limit "very disturbing" because it permits terminations based on limited prenatal data.
Massachusetts enacted the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, signed by Gov. Maura Healey, which scrubs the former 24-week abortion limit and authorizes terminations up to delivery based on a physician's judgment. Neonatologist Dr. Robin Pierucci, a co-chair of the American College of Pediatricians' Pro-Life Council, described the measure as "very disturbing," citing the risk of decisions made on imperfect prenatal screening results.
She emphasized that newborns with serious health issues still deserve care and that doctors have an absolute duty to treat them. Pierucci warned that the law could force clinicians with moral objections into ethical dilemmas and urged the use of perinatal palliative care to support families. She also noted advances that allow survival of infants born as early as 22 weeks, arguing that the legislation ignores these medical developments. The governor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The law expands abortion rights to any gestational age, raising medical and ethical concerns for doctors and families.
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