What Are Your Thoughts On "Live Births?"
October 14th, 2009
Did you know that in Tennesse a baby is not considered as a “live birth” if he/she only lives for two minutes and only has a slight heartbeat?
Hmmm…
It would make sense to consider the baby a live birth if it was, in fact, a live birth…right? I’m not privy to all the details of what constitutes live births legally, but I am aware (thanks to Traci) of a sweet mama who had a baby that only breathed for two minutes, and she sure would like to have a birth certificate. The problem is, because her baby was not considered a live birth, she can’t get one. You can read more about why the birth certificate was denied here, and if, after reading that, you think she should be able to get one for her son, won’t you sign the petition?
Honestly, I’m not sure where I stand…weird, right? What are your thoughts?
Since I believe in life at conception then I would believe that any birth would be a “live birth”.
Courtney´s last blog post … What Does The Bible Say About Blogging?
My personal opinion is that if a baby is born that has a heart beat, however so slight and how long…..it was born alive, no matter how long it lived. Women who have had an IUFD(intrauterine fetal demise) get a birth certificate, or if there is a fetal demise after the baby was born, they get one. The government states that a fetus is a live human being when there is a heart beat, which is typically @ 8wks. If the baby does not survive long after birth, that does not change wheather or not they are/were a live human being at one point in time. This woman deserves closure!!!!!
Thank you Sarah Mae!
Traci´s last blog post … 1,000 Signatures by this Friday?
What a strange law. I’ll email some colleagues in Tennessee and see if they know the reason behind this statute.
Aunt Shelley! What a post to start commenting on – thank you for your insight! :)
Two minutes or two seconds…that sweet baby was breathing. It was a Live Birth. I agree with Shelley and Courtney.
I believe that since sweet baby Wyatt breathed for those two minutes…he was born alive. They should consider it a live birth. Give her family the birth certificate their sweet son deserves. If I were in her position I just don’t know what I would do. I would go all Mama bear on some folks!
Tiffany´s last blog post … Etsy Tuesday
Sarah – maybe you can find out more about it – thank you for your kindness!
Interesting topic. If the baby was stillborn- no pulse, no breath, would the baby still be documented with a birth certificate? To me, since this child was breathing and had a pulse, a birth cirtifcate is warranted. The child didn’t die in utero…
Thank you so much for sharing Wyatt story with us!
I’m spreading the word for sure!
Without a doubt his mother should receive a birth certificate. I mean he was born. And she had a live birth, the baby was alive in utero. He was and is ” a person.”
In my opinion, some folks have backwards thinking!
I will sign the petition.
I believe that absolutely this should be considered a live birth! If a person is dying, but their heart is still beating (even faintly), the person would still be considered alive at that point. I have already signed the petition since I live in Tennessee. I am horrified that they have not already given this family the birth certificate their baby deserves.
Regarding Shelley’s comment, I think it must vary state to state or something. I live in TX and did not get a birth certificate when I had a fetal demise and that is exactly what was stated on the hospital & doctor’s records. It may have to do with the fetal age, which I know from experience is difficult to determine. I had an ultrasound of a healthy baby at 16 weeks, but had a fall on vacation. Everything seemed fine, but when I went in for a check-up there was no heartbeat at 20 weeks. An ultrasound confirmed the fetal demise, but the baby only measured to be 13 weeks (when it had measured at 16 weeks previously). The baby begins to shrink, so you can not accurately determine the fetal age. Sorry for the details… I am saying this because, if there is a fetal age requirement even that would be difficult to determine.
Anyway, I also know that the state (of TX) recognizes it as a living being before birth) because they obviously allow fetal care even through programs such as Medicaid… and for two months after the birth or fetal demise… it seems it would also be recognized as a live birth if you have a heartbeat or breathing. I do see the side somewhat from a medical perspective, although I am NOT saying I back the medical perspective. I know from watching relatives in their last moments that when the body is breathing and the heart is beating that when “life support” is removed (which in a sense is the same) that it is slow process for the body to stop working. It does not just stop suddenly, but rather gradually. Like I said, I am not saying that I would consider it to not be a live birth. Breathing…. check…. heartbeat… check… live birth!! I pray for peace for Traci that she will know that God knows that this child lived for those two minutes and that this child lives now in Heaven! God knows and recognizes her pain even if the state, etc. does not.
Shannon´s last blog post … Meek and Quiet…
Babies (in and out of the womb) are a passion of mine and I can’t imagine someone telling me that my child, born alive, wasn’t… born alive.
Absolutely, she should get one.
This story makes me so mad and sad, all wrapped up in one. Downright scary, really. It is part of the slippery slope we face as a society when drawing a line about when a baby becomes “viable”. If this child had one heartbeat, or drew even a single breath, he LIVED outside the womb and his parents should rightfully be issued both a certificate of birth and a death certificate. I cannot imagine the horror of going through the grief of watching my baby draw his last breath, then not even have my governement validate that he had even lived???
Jenni Saake
author, Hannah’s Hope: Seeking God’s Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage and Adoption Loss (NavPress, 2005)
Jenni Saake – InfertilityMom´s last blog post … Happy Memories
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ANY amount of life for ANY amount of time is a live birth. There is no in between being borm with life and being still born, it is either or, black or white to me. My heart goes out to this mother.
Wow…what a heartbreaker.
Heartbeat=live birth.
But then again in this twisted world we live in, heartbeat doesn’t seem to constitute life as is the case in abortion law.
Sad state of affairs in this world, yes?
I will definitely sign the petition!
Emily B´s last blog post … No Words Left
Of course he was alive to deny that is reprehensible!
My signature has been applied! I read about this a couple of days ago and was very upset and heartbroken.
smooches,
Larie
Larie´s last blog post … …of a sitcom proposal. What’cha think?
I worked for 13 years as a labor and delivery/Neonatal ICU nurse and in all 13 of those years in the 2 states where I worked, her baby would have definitely been called a live birth and given a birth certificate. You said the baby breathed and had a heartbeat. That’s a live birth.
Once in the NICU I was responsible to take care of a baby from a failed abortion (I did not in any way participate in the abortion). The baby was 18 weeks gestation, breathing and heart beating on his own, but back in those days we had no way of saving his life at that gestation. My job was to watch him die and document his breathing and heart rate changes. Gruesome, I know, but my point is that regardless of his gestation or how long he was alive or the fact that he was aborted, he was still considered a live birth.
I think it’s dangerous ground when we think otherwise. It opens the door wide for infanticide. And if you don’t think that already occurs in this nation’s hospitals, think again.
Bonita´s last blog post … New Kid on the Blogger Block
I’m with you Sarah Mae, and yes, it is weird, lol.
Yet, I don’t understand how the world operates sometimes. :( I mean, are there legalities involved in deeming a baby who lived for 2 minutes a birth certificate? There must be some reason deeper than the surface shows on why they would make a law like that. Not saying I agree with it, it’s just one of those things that makes you go hmmmm? You know?
Christin´s last blog post … Quiet Stillness
I had a stillborn son and was issued a death ceritificate and not a birth certificate. I became the Idaho state director for the National Stillbirth Society and worked along with the MISS Foundation to have congress pass the need for birth certificates. Many states have passed it, but we are working with other states to do the same. Every mother and father who deliver a baby want a birth certificate. I eventually got one. I’m all for them being issued. It is a baby that has been borth. Cabbage Patch kids get birth certificates!
Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day too. http://www.october15th.com can explain more…
My first thought was that any baby that enters this world and takes a breath is a live birth, so that seems absolutely WRONG to me that no birth certificate was issued. A child who BREATHES, LIVES.
I seem to have been misinterpretted in my above statements (because I have recieved email stating so). I want to make it clear that I said that if there was a heartbeat and breathing, then I beleive this is a “live birth”. And this mother MOST CERTAINLY deserves closure. I stated that I pray for peace for her… that does not mean that I think she does not deserve or should not fight for birth certificate and closure. In my personal experience I did not have a “live birth”, but rather I had to have the baby removed via D&C, so there was no question of such issues for my situation. I have only remorse for this family. Anything I may have said would never have been intended to be hurtful, so I hope no one would EVER take it that way. :)
Shannon´s last blog post … Laundry Zone Dilemnas
Absolutely a live birth – no question! Very scary thought that people can set an amount of time like that. If someone can say that the first 2 minutes of life “don’t count”, then what’s to stop them from making it 5 minutes, or 10, or more? If the baby was alive for even 1 second – that’s a live birth.
Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates´s last blog post … Fall Fruits Festival ~ Cranberries & Giveaway
this is an easy one… we’ve quit honoring life in our country… it makes my stomach sick when i really think deeply about it. this child was born alive and should be honored as such.
This bill has passed as of April 16th was signed into law by Gov. Bredesen . Thought I’d share this , I was a parent a constitient that helped on this bill & am trying to get the word out as of July 1st , 2010 past & present families can request one .