The mother of twins who survived after being born at just 23 weeks – a week earlier than the current legal abortion limit – has criticised the law.
Pam Glover gave birth to boys Mackenzie and Cameron, one of the most premature sets of twins ever to survive in the UK.
She said: “For us now, the idea that it’s possible to abort a child up to 24 weeks – older than Cameron and Mackenzie were – just doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Lower
She added: “It’s a message we’d like to get across, that the abortion limit should be lower. Our boys’ eyes were fused shut, their wee hands were fused. But they were proper little babies.”
Pam and Lee Glover were on holiday in Morocco when Pam went into labour 17 weeks early.
Only one in ten babies survive such a premature birth, with the chance even lower for twins.
Survive
But after being flown back to the UK, Mrs Glover gave birth to two boys, who both weighed less than a pound each.
Mark Bhagwandin, from the pro-life charity Life, said one study had shown up to 19 per cent of babies born at 23 weeks could survive.
He added it was “essential that current laws on abortion are reviewed to reflect this reality”.
Reduction
In recent months, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Women’s Minister Maria Miller have said they personally support a reduction in the abortion limit.
But the Prime Minister refused to allow a parliamentary debate on the issue.