News,

President Clinton was at a prayer-breakfast where a message from the pope described abortion as the greatest modern civil rights issue. John Paul II urged the USA to set an example to the rest of the world by legally protecting the unborn. [Agence France Presse quoted in Pro-Life E-News, 3 February, 2000] Comments on the US National Institutes of Health's draft guidelines on stem cell research (cf. yesterday's lead story) must be received on or before the 22nd of this month. [email from a subscriber, based on http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2000/od-31.htm] Researchers are urging expectant mothers to have their babies screened for a potentially fatal genetic blood disorder, even if the mothers are opposed to abortion. The UK Confidential Inquiry into Antenatal Screening for Thalassaemia claims that medical authorities wrongly assume that people from certain ethnic backgrounds would reject testing for moral reasons. Thalassaemia must be treated soon after birth. [BBC website, 4 February, 2000] SPUC sounds a note of caution. Although thalassaemia can, indeed, be treated, medical staff are known to put pressure on parents to have their child aborted once a disorder has been detected. This bulletin is privately circulated by The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, www.spuc.org.uk, 5/6 St Matthew Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1P 2JT, +44 20 7222 3763. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on the cited sources. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. Please forward this bulletin to other interested parties. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an appropriate email to information@spuc.freeserve.co.uk