i’m not so much interested in the results of a recent study that claims that fetuses prior to 29 weeks can feel no pain and its implication for abortion policy. rather, i’m interested in the following quote:

“Not all physicians agree. Dr. K. S. Anand, a pediatrician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said, “There is circumstantial evidence to suggest that pain occurs in the fetus.”

For example, he said, tiny premature babies, as young as 23 or 24 weeks, cry when their heels are stuck for blood tests and quickly become conditioned to cry whenever anyone comes near their feet. “In the first trimester there is very likely no pain perception,” Dr. Anand said. “By the second trimester, all bets are off and I would argue that in the absence of absolute proof we should give the fetus the benefit of the doubt if we are going to call ourselves compassionate and humane physicians.”

i must admit that kris and don’t remember this to be the case and in fact, the nicu we remember was remarkable because it wasn’t filled with screaming, crying kids in way that you might imagine. most of the time if you heard crying, it was from the “older” nicu infants or full term infants brought into the unit with complications.

it never really occured to us that we could have been in the intesive care unit for over a full month before odin was even capable of feeling pain.

and regardless of whether it’s 29 weeks or 28 or 27, it does highlight just how much brain development still needs to happen with micropreemies outside the womb.