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Besides being a member of Congress, I am also a practicing physician who has delivered more than 3,000 babies.
Recently, one of my patients, an expectant mother, told me she was afraid of being given anesthesia to reduce her pain during delivery. She read that anesthesia is used to kill the fetus during a late-term abortion procedure known as the partial-birth abortion method.
This is completely inaccurate. In fact, Dr. Norig Ellison, President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, stated before the Senate Judiciary Committee last fall that any suggestion that anesthesia kills the fetus has "absolutely no basis in scientific fact.
The fact is when general anesthesia is administered to the mother, only a portion of that anesthetic may reach the fetus, but hardly enough to cause any threat to the health or life of the fetus.
I was alarmed by this erroneous information because it could negatively impact the health of any pregnant woman who, fearing the consequences of anesthesia on her unborn child, may delay necessary and even life-saving medical procedures.
The misinformation is being spread by opponents of H.R. 1833, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, to make the procedure appear more humane.
Regardless of the motivations, this rhetoric is reckless and irresponsible.
Legislators and physicians must work together to ensure that the public receives accurate information so they can make educated decisions regarding health care. Others involved in making and influencing public policy should stick to truths and refrain from using inaccuracies to promote their viewpoint.
Afterall, this is not a pro-choice versus pro-life issue, but rather a medical issue that could have serious consequences on the health of a woman and her unborn child.