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| Baby born to El Salvador woman denied abortion dies after C-section | Baby born to El Salvador woman denied abortion dies after C-section |
| (4 months later) | |
| A seriously ill woman denied a medical abortion has had a caesarean section to save her life and avoid breaking the law, although the baby did not survive, El Salvador's health ministry announced late on Monday. | A seriously ill woman denied a medical abortion has had a caesarean section to save her life and avoid breaking the law, although the baby did not survive, El Salvador's health ministry announced late on Monday. |
| The 22-year-old woman, known only as Beatriz for privacy reasons, underwent the operation in the afternoon after 27 weeks of pregnancy, the ministry said. Her baby girl was born without a brain. | The 22-year-old woman, known only as Beatriz for privacy reasons, underwent the operation in the afternoon after 27 weeks of pregnancy, the ministry said. Her baby girl was born without a brain. |
| Health minister María Isabel Rodriguez said the operation took place about 2pm local time and that Beatriz was in a stable condition. | Health minister María Isabel Rodriguez said the operation took place about 2pm local time and that Beatriz was in a stable condition. |
| "She's in good hands, being looked after well," she told Reuters. "I expect things to go well over the next few hours." | "She's in good hands, being looked after well," she told Reuters. "I expect things to go well over the next few hours." |
| Shortly afterward, Rodriguez said that Beatriz's baby daughter died about five hours after the operation. | Shortly afterward, Rodriguez said that Beatriz's baby daughter died about five hours after the operation. |
| The country's supreme court last week prohibited an abortion for Beatriz, who suffers from lupus and kidney failure and whose lawyers said the pregnancy was threatening her life. | The country's supreme court last week prohibited an abortion for Beatriz, who suffers from lupus and kidney failure and whose lawyers said the pregnancy was threatening her life. |
| Her plight drew international attention and a ruling from the Inter-American court on human rights that El Salvador should protect her life and help her end the pregnancy. | Her plight drew international attention and a ruling from the Inter-American court on human rights that El Salvador should protect her life and help her end the pregnancy. |
| The health ministry stepped in late last week after the ruling and said it would allow the C-section because the pregnancy was already at 26 weeks and the country's strict abortion laws were no longer applicable. Ultrasound images had indicated her foetus was developing with only a brain stem. | The health ministry stepped in late last week after the ruling and said it would allow the C-section because the pregnancy was already at 26 weeks and the country's strict abortion laws were no longer applicable. Ultrasound images had indicated her foetus was developing with only a brain stem. |
| Doctors at the maternity hospital had been preparing to perform the C-section at the slightest sign of danger to save Beatriz's life, said Rodriguez. | Doctors at the maternity hospital had been preparing to perform the C-section at the slightest sign of danger to save Beatriz's life, said Rodriguez. |
| El Salvador's laws prohibit all abortions, even when a woman's health is at risk. Beatriz and any doctor who terminated her pregnancy would have faced arrest and criminal charges. | El Salvador's laws prohibit all abortions, even when a woman's health is at risk. Beatriz and any doctor who terminated her pregnancy would have faced arrest and criminal charges. |
| A majority of judges at the high court rejected the appeal by Beatriz's lawyers, saying physical and psychological exams by the government-run Institute of Legal Medicine found that her diseases were under control and that she could continue the pregnancy. | A majority of judges at the high court rejected the appeal by Beatriz's lawyers, saying physical and psychological exams by the government-run Institute of Legal Medicine found that her diseases were under control and that she could continue the pregnancy. |
| Just as the health ministry was resolving the case, the inter-American court issued its ruling, but it no longer applied in the case. | Just as the health ministry was resolving the case, the inter-American court issued its ruling, but it no longer applied in the case. |
| Abortion opponents said the case was being used to press for legalised abortion in El Salvador, which has some of the toughest abortion laws in Latin America, along with Chile, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Suriname. | Abortion opponents said the case was being used to press for legalised abortion in El Salvador, which has some of the toughest abortion laws in Latin America, along with Chile, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Suriname. |
| Claudia Handal, a spokeswoman for the anti-abortion group Red Familia, said the rights of all had been respected. | Claudia Handal, a spokeswoman for the anti-abortion group Red Familia, said the rights of all had been respected. |
| "We're very happy because as we said from the beginning, it wasn't necessary to perform an abortion, the point was to respect the baby's life and to give Beatriz the care and the right to health that she deserved," Handal told Reuters. | "We're very happy because as we said from the beginning, it wasn't necessary to perform an abortion, the point was to respect the baby's life and to give Beatriz the care and the right to health that she deserved," Handal told Reuters. |
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