Is it true that surgeons can operate on a preborn baby? C.S. Mississauga

Yes, it is true. Today, such is the state of the art of medicine, a baby can be removed from his mother’s womb for surgery, and then replaced. Many conditions which require surgery are treated whilst this little “second patient” is still inside the uterus. In A Time to Choose Life there is a fascinating account of the procedures used in one of the very first conditions to be treated by fetal surgery. In the book, in her article entitled The Patient Before Birth, Dr. Heather Morris describes the surgery to treat a blockage in the preborn baby’s bladder.

“If untreated, the urine in the bladder will ‘back up’ and the pressure will destroy the baby’s kidneys. Relief of this condition may be obtained by inserting a plastic tube through a needle which penetrates the wall of the mother’s abdomen, uterus, and the baby’s abdomen into the bladder. After the needle has been removed, the plastic tube curls up and stays in place in the uterus, thus enabling the urine to drain into the amniotic fluid around the baby where it belongs.”

What a pity we know so little about the imaginative innovation, skill and determination of fetologists, both physicians and surgeons.

What arguments can we use to convince our MPs that euthanasia and assisted suicide must always remain criminal offenses? R.L. Toronto

In 1989, Mr. Justice Magot, in his opinion in a Law Reform Commission Report, emphasized “The symbolic function of the criminal law.” Though the Report was on Crimes Against the Foetus his words apply equally to euthanasia, I believe his words should be framed and placed where every law maker can see them.

“The criminal law is our nation’s fundamental statement of public policy. It is the instrument by which the community draws a line between the tolerable and the intolerable. Criminal law defines those whose interests are worthy of respect and protection, and in my view, this should include all members of the human family. Ultimately, the criminal law is a mirror of what we are. It reflects our commitment, or lack of commitment, to human dignity and equality.

“The law does not exist for the sake or primary purpose of punishing illicit acts. It exists, as an expression, in a broad sense, of the kind of people we are. It does not merely regulate our behaviour, it articulates and symbolizes our values and beliefs.”

With amendments to replace abortion by euthanasia, the next paragraph concludes:

“For Canada to demonstrate its continues respect for human life, the taking of human life by euthanasia should therefore remain ‘a crime, included in the Criminal Code.’”

Is there an official definition of “the elderly” when discussing population data? E.M.C. Scarborough

The International Population Reports seem to have accepted those of 65 years and over as “elderly.” However, because a time span of 35 years and over is inadequate for statistical purposes, there are subdivisions: the “young old,” 65 to 74 years; the “aged,” 75 years and over; and “oldest old,” 80 years and over.

In addition, there are data for the “older population” who are 55 years and older. The term “frail elderly” is used in statistics for people 65 years and over “with significant physical and cognitive health problems.” These last statistics do serve to show that the majority of the “young old” in the developed world do not have serious health problems.

How early were the inter-relationships of abortion, the elderly, and euthanasia discussed openly and semi-officially in Canada? E.M.C. Scarborough

The earliest mention that comes to mind was in 1976 in the Science Council of Canada’s publication Perceptions: Implications of the Changing Age Structure of the Canadian Population.  Abortion,  and birth control, were already affecting the age structure in Canada, and it was clear that within a few years smaller numbers of workers and tax payers would be supporting increasing large numbers of the elderly. The Science Coucil predicted—in 1976—that rationing of health service and even euthanasia for the elderly could be expected. The Council said of health care rationing: “…it may be decided that it is not worth while in terms of resource consumption to offer certain expensive medical care and resources to the individual….” The Council added: “…it is safe to predict that the subject of euthanasia and planning for death will become somewhat like the subject of abortion today.”