A baby born prematurely was left to die at a British hospital because he did not qualify for treatment under the government-run, National Health Service’s rationing rules.

    Sarah Capewell, a 23 year old British mother, says that her son Jayden, born at just 21 weeks and five days gestation, was refused intensive care because the British NHS only allows treatment for premature babies born at 22 weeks. Jayden was two days under the limit.

    Capewell says Jayden survived for two hours, crying, before dying in her arms. Capewell spent the time pleading with doctors to help her son. Staff at the hospital, located in Gorleston, Norfolk, told Capewell they would have cared for her son had he been born two days later.

    This rule comes from health care rationing guidelines set down by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. The council said in 2006 that babies born under 22 weeks gestation should never be given care, and rarely to those born under 23 weeks.

    This guideline was backed by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM), who said “it would be considered in the best interests of the baby, and standard practice, for resuscitation not to be carried out” for babies born under 23 weeks gestation. However, it continues, “If the parents wish they should have the opportunity to discuss outcomes with a second senior member of the perinatal team.”

    Capewell says her wishes were totally ignored by the hospital staff:.

“When I asked about my baby's human rights, the attitude of the doctors seemed to be that he did not have any. They said before 22 weeks he was just a fetus."

    “The British national health care rationing body, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E.), has plainly stated that such guidelines are based on financial motives, in consideration of how expensive a treatment will be compared to the ‘quality of life years’ it can provide," LifeSiteNews.com reports.

    Now Capewell is fighting to change the law. She has set up a petition and a website, and is calling for a review of the guidelines.

    Will this be our future? President Obama’s health care plan would put in place a system very similar to the British one. Care would be rationed under the public option plan to save money. This type of merciless, cruel treatment would become common. Abortion would be paid for by taxpayer dollars and insurance premiums. Do we really want this in the United States of America, a country founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? For the sake of the unborn children and our great nation, we must fight against the health care plan.

For more on this story, see the following links:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211950/Premature-baby-left-die-doctors-mother-gives-birth-just-days-22-week-care-limit.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/6142393/Medical-debate-rages-over-when-premature-babies-should-be-saved.html
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6142370/Bereaved-mothers-campaign-against-medical-guidelines-that-allow-premature-babies-to-die.html

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26048396-401,00.html