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In our Q&A: Eighth Amendment Referendum series, we are answering questions our readers have submitted in relation to the upcoming vote on 25 May.
THE QUESTION
A number of people have asked a version of these questions. Here are some of those queries:
THE ANSWER
OVER THE PAST few weeks, the development of embryos and foetuses at various stages of a pregnancy have been used in campaigns urging people to vote either Yes or No in the Eighth Amendment referendum.
In particular, references to the development of the heart, brain and facial features during a pregnancy have been used as an emotive argument to retain the Eighth Amendment.
When does life begin?
There is little consensus of when life begins: the BBC has a good, simplified guide here on the different stages of pregnancy where life could be interpreted as beginning: including when the foetus first moves, when the brain is fully developed, or when the foetus reaches viability (when it can survive outside the womb).
But ultimately, as the guide states, “there’s no agreement in medicine, philosophy or theology as to what stage of foetal development should be associated with the right to life”.
That isn’t surprising, because the idea that there is a precise moment when a foetus gets the right to live, which it didn’t have a few moments earlier, feels very strange.
Nonetheless, as a matter of practicality, many abortion laws lay down a stage of pregnancy after which abortion is unlawful (because the foetus has a right to life), and the dates chosen are usually based on viability.
In legal terms in Ireland, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that an “unborn” wasn’t an “unborn child” and wasn’t entitled to the same rights and protection that children have under the Constitution (Article 42A).
A stillbirth is a baby born dead after 24 weeks of gestation, or if the foetus weighs 500g or more. If a pregnancy ends before this, it’s considered to be a late miscarriage.
Considering that there’s no answer on where life begins, and to help people understand the stages of pregnancy, we’ve put together a pregnancy timeline that shows you how an embryo and foetus develop.
Quick guide
Before we get into the timeline, there’s one aspect to get around first – the difference between pregnancy and gestation.
Pregnancy is the state of carrying a developing embryo or foetus within the female body, while gestation is the process or period of developing inside the womb between conception and birth.
In both medicine and law, pregnancy begins on the first day of a woman’s last period. So, a woman might not be physically pregnant in the first week or two of her pregnancy.
In the proposed draft legislation that could become law in the event of a Yes vote, it clarifies that the 12-week time limit where women would be able to get an abortion refers to pregnancy (again, that means the woman may not be pregnant for the first two weeks):
“It shall be lawful to carry out a termination of pregnancy in accordance with this Head where a medical practitioner certifies, that in his or her reasonable opinion formed in good faith, the pregnancy concerned has not exceeded 12 weeks of pregnancy.”
For the purposes of [Head 7] ―12 weeks of pregnancy shall be construed in accordance with the medical principle that pregnancy is dated from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period.
For many women, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period in week five.
By week 5, the embryo is about 2mm long (according to the NHS’ week-by-week guide), its spine and nervous system have begun to form, and the basis from which its organs will develop are in place.
The embryo has its own blood system and may be a different blood group from its mother.
Blood vessels are forming in what will become the umbilical cord, and in tiny buds which will become limbs.
At week 6, the embryo is 3mm long according to the Australian state of Victoria. The heart begins to form, which can sometimes be seen on a vaginal ultrasound scan according to the NHS.
There’s a bulge on the embryo where the heart is and a bump where the brain and head would be. By week 7 the embryo is 10mm long, according to the NHS.
(Many women begin to have side-effects of early pregnancy around now, like urinating more often, nausea and vomiting.)
One No campaign poster says that the embryo’s heart starts beating at 22 days of gestation (or 5/6 weeks of pregnancy), which is roughly correct.
One US study published in the Journal of Prenatal Medicine examined the cardiac function of a foetus during the first trimester (12 weeks). It states:
Cardiovascular development in a human embryo occurs between 3 and 6 weeks after ovulation.
At the end of the fourth week of gestation, the heartbeats of the embryo begin.
The fourth/fifth week of gestation would be around the sixth/seventh week of pregnancy.
At around week 8, the embryo is officially called a foetus.
The major organs have begun to form, and the nervous system is developing.
The head gets bigger and is significantly larger than the body still, while the eyes become more pronounced having moved forward on the face.
The legs are growing but aren’t properly distinct yet – ridges form where fingers and toes would be, but haven’t yet separated.
The baby’s face is slowly forming at 9 weeks. The eyes are bigger and there’s a mouth and a tongue with tiny taste buds forming under the skin.
All major organs are developing and becoming more complex.
The NHS guidelines says that by week 10, “the baby is making small, jerky movements that can be seen on an ultrasound scan”.
The umbilical cord is fully formed (it provides nourishment and removes waste products). The heart is now beating two to three times faster than an adult heart.
The ears begin to develop, while the upper lip and nostrils are just about visible.
By week 11 the bones of the face are formed, and ear buds on the side of the foetus’ head begin to look more like ears. The eyelids are closed and won’t open until week 28, as they protect the eyes as they develop.
By week 12, all the foetus’ organs, muscles, limbs and bones are in place, the sex organs have begun to develop and from now on, the pregnancy is about growing and maturing the foetus’ systems and organs.
The threat of miscarriage is significantly reduced and many people choose this time to announce their pregnancies. However, it has not reached viability as lungs and other vital organs aren’t sufficiently developed.
The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists noted in this explainer that most miscarriages occur during the 12-week period.
In the below chart from the Centres for Disease Control in the US, you can see the risk of major defects occurring (purple bar) decreases significantly after 12 weeks.
The foetus weighs around 25g in weight by week 13, according to the NHS. The pregnancy is beginning to show at this point, and the foetus can start to move its head.
By week 14 it’s 85mm long, and the foetus begins swallowing bits of amniotic fluid; the kidneys also start to work.
In week 16, it can move muscles on its face. Muscle tissue and bones continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton. The skin, appearing translucent, also begins to form.
It is also covered with very fine, downy hair called lanugo. This hair probably serves as some form of insulation and protection for the skin and usually disappears before birth.
In week 17 the foetus can hear noises, and is beginning to form eyebrows and eyelashes. It has its own fingerprints, and the fingernail and toenails are growing. The mouth can open and shut. It weighs around 150g and the woman is visibly pregnant.
At week 19 the foetus is now about 15-20 cm long and weighs about 300g. Milk teeth have formed in the gums, according to this timeline by the BBC.
Week 20 is half way through the pregnancy. The foetus develops a waxy coating called vernix, which is probably provides protection for the skin as the baby floats in amniotic fluid.
Week 21, and the foetus weighs 350g. For the first time during the pregnancy the foetus weighs more than the placenta.
The lungs aren’t able to work properly yet; the oxygen supply is coming through the placenta and will do so until it’s born.
In week 22 senses begin to develop. The taste buds have started to form on the tongue and the foetus starts to develop touch.
The skeleton continues to develop and bones that form the skull begin to harden.
Week 24 is defined as the time in which a foetus is viable, or can survive outside the womb (with medical assistance).
Most babies born before this time cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs aren’t developed enough.
If the birth were to take place at this point, the baby would be prone to breathing difficulties and susceptible to infections.
By week 25, the baby is moving and responds to touch or sound. Sometimes the baby may get hiccups, which the woman can feel.
The skin is gradually becoming more opaque than transparent by week 27.
By 28 weeks the baby weighs around 1kg, and the heartbeat can now be heard through a stethoscope. The baby’s eyelids will open for the first time around now and will soon start blinking.
The baby is growing plumper, and the skin begins to look less wrinkled and much smoother. The lanugo hair begins to disappear.
By week 31 the eyes can focus now and tell light from dark. In week 32 the baby is usually lying with their head pointing downwards, ready for birth.
From week 33 the baby ‘s brain and nervous system are fully developed, and the bones are continuing to harden.
At 36 weeks, the baby’s lungs are fully formed and ready for breathing after birth. The digestive system, is also fully prepared for breast milk.
Any baby born after week 37 is considered to be full term.
Sources:
If you have another question, please send it to referendum@thejournal.ie
Let the Guards investigate Murphy.
@SF Knee Knockers: for what?
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: fraud
@John fitzpatrick: legally he has no case to answer. He broke no Dail rules. Disgraceful but true.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: Signing on when he wasn’t available for work.
@Conoroconnor: except for claiming allowances when he was not actually there. If that’s not breaking the rules , I do not know what is. In any job , if your faking milage , claiming false expenses, you will be sacked as fraud is fraud in any job.
@John fitzpatrick: He didn’t break the rules. Fob in at the Dail and leave straight away and you qualify.
When will all of you people learn? This is what FG and FF do: they line their own pockets at OUR expense.
Look at Bailey. Look at Murphy. Look at Lowry. Look at Haughey. Look at Ahern.
Tribunals find against these people and you vote for them. They essentially rip off the Irish tax payer for 300k. You vote for them. They attempt to defraud an insurance company and you vote them. Verona Murphy engages in racist rhetoric. The Taoiseach campaigns with her – and…..you vote for them.
When will you learn?
@Billy McNamara: He was getting the dole too?
@SF Knee Knockers: we need to make laws he has broken first. Too late but should be done now.
@Conoroconnor: actually you are very wrong. He didn’t comply with tax regulations and was earning monies and claiming expenses which he should have paid tax on. So yes this is fraud which an average joe soap would get 3 to 7 years jail time for. But of course politicians seem to make their own rules and laws don’t they.
@Shazam37: look at ferris and Ellis for SF, told the public they were taking home an average industrial wage but had a special deal
@Rhomas Teddy: how do you know he didn’t pay tax on it? Whistling Dixie I reckon.
Funny how Mícheál Martin is all over this now AFTER Dara Murphy has resigned. Everyone knew what Dara Murphy was doing. It was reported last year. Why wasn’t he calling for an investigation then? Only now because of the public outcry. Gowls the whole lot of them.
@Caireann Rua: because there is an election coming and he’s pretenting to be the opposition
@Caireann Rua: the two parties (FF and FG) are masters at deflection. Every person knows both the voting and expense claims are at the very least, morally wrong, at the very worst criminal. Neither will push the other so far as to test the criminal side. Party first and all that.
@DaMoons: two cheeks of the one arse!
Feck the investigation, it should be a criminal case. No different to your one in Donegal. Stealing from your employers m. In this case the tax payer.
@John fitzpatrick: Similarly, if you are found to have voted illegally, everyone who tries to cover it up or not volunteer information on voter fraud should also be charged.
@DaMoons: agreed . But I bet there are lots more of it from every party. Tip of the iceberg
@John fitzpatrick: Apparently it is mainly confined to FF and FG. SF corrected their record on the day when they did it inadvertently. It’s in the Dail records.
@DaMoons: “inadvertantly” oh ok then….
@Gerry Cummins: And corrected the Dail record on the day. But I am sure you are not interested in getting mistakes corrected on the day. You would rather what?? An expensive tribunal?
All the same From Murphy to chambers to Dooley.They change and abuse rules to suit themselves and claim max amount of expenses.Needs to be total overhaul of all expenses and accountability.But who does it.They can’t police themselves.Greed is an awful curse on our democracy.
Oh so today Micheal Martin is on the opposition is it? Can’t keep up with that lad at all.
@Badger the witness: He isn’t really. He started squealing about the IRA when Pearse Doherty got up to challenge the Taoiseach about the insurance price gouging impacting businesses, drivers and homeowners. Martin circled the wagons around FG yet again to protect their cosy cartel.
If a complaint is made to the garda are they not obliged to investigate?
@Sea Graham: in order for the gardai to get involved, he has to have broken the law, which he didn’t do.
@Conoroconnor: well actually he has stolen money from the taxpayer. He was claiming expenses that he wasn’t entitled to. They are all going of about how various departments can’t investigate as he’s no longer a TD. Why is there one law for them and one for us. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” springs to mind.
@Sea Graham: he was entitled to the expenses.
They rigged the system so they could take money from the taxpayer legitimately.
Phone your closest FFFG TD tomorrow. Tell them you will under no circumstances vote for a party that defrauds the tax payer. Then don’t vote for them.
Simple.
@Shazam37: Ha! I can imagine how that conversation would go.. “Hello. I’d like to speak to minister Harris please.” “I’m sorry, he can’t speak to you right now, the ventriloquist has stepped out of the office.”
@Sea Graham: well they’re never in their constituency office – but they’re fully staffed.
I ring every time there’s a massive controversy. Which with this lot is pretty frequently. They what back that people are phoning and writing and they get the idea its bad for them
The old “Smoke – Mirrors” ploy to appease the voting public in check by giving a glimmer of hope.
This like all other “arguments and disputes” is part of a very deceptive and well rehearsed plan .
Do I believe them…….. No
Do I trust them……. Not a chance
Will I be voting for them ….. No.
There is not one of them care about someone scamming expenses because they’re all at it. They shouldn’t be getting any expenses anyway just a base salary and if they don’t like it don’t run for office.
@joe byrne: Genuinely, can you imagine FF and FG ever supporting your proposal?
@DaMoons: I can’t see any party supporting it because they are only all in it for themselves. Do couldn’t care less about any other agenda
@DaMoons: I can’t see any party supporting it because they are only all in it for themselves. They couldn’t care less about anything else.
@DaMoons: sf collected €1.3 million in expenses from Westminster and they don’t even turn up
Micheal Martin pretending to be the opposition again. How cute.
TDs cannot answer a question truthfully even to one another they always answer a question with a question sad they cannot be more truthful
@Pauline Cahill: Watch this video and the attempt at deflection by both FF and FG. They both pretend they know nothing about the Insurance companies fleecing us.
https://www.facebook.com/sinnfein/videos/2461113490823325/
Any organisation is influenced directly from the top down.
So civil ‘servants’ and state bodies look up to TDs and senators on how to behave.
We are so wealthy as a nation but its cr@p like this that shows how our money is being p1ssed away at every opportunity.
Billions. Ever year.
Happy Christmas Dara. You make us all proud.
Mehole Martin pretending to have morals,
Sure aren’t FF the most corrupt and money hungry of them all!
I’ll still be voting Fianna Fáil this time round. They always gave the working man their bread and butter. Madness they still get blamed for the crash, they wanted to burn the bondholders and weren’t let. Time to forgive and forget, it’s either more of the FG Dublin-oriented jokeshop, or let Sinn Fein and their absurd economic policies force us all to fight stray dogs for scraps.
@Alex Nevin: SF were the only opposition party to put forward a costed budget alternative over the last 2 budgets. FF are now saying they would implement the SF third rate of tax rate if they steal power again. You might want to do a little research before making that sort of argument again.
@Alex Nevin: I might re-write history and vote for them too…
@Alex Nevin: it’s been a minority government for years kept in position by your FF leader, Micheal the puppet.
@Alex Nevin: Do you not remember the mess FF created? Some people are still suffering.
@Alex Nevin:
Please tell me that your tounge was firmly planted in your cheek or maybe you found a stash of wild mushrooms ?.
This party have caused more misery in this country and then joined forces with fg to join and conquer.
@Alex Nevin: you don’t know what your talking about Alex.
I’ll forgive Ff when Martin Ahern and the rest face a criminal Inwhiry and are barred from public office and excommunicated from the party. When they come up with a way to removes the 200 Billion debt that my grandchildren will be paying off.
So never. Never never never.
@Shazam37: you do know 200 billion is peanuts in terms of this country’s wealth? If we pay it all off now we would probably incur a penalty for doing so. Ame as in Joe Soap life…
@Gerry Cummins: what absolute bunkum. Our annual budget is about 60 billion. Of which everything is accounted for give or take a few hundred million to a billion.
What are you talking about? You think they have two hundred billion just lying around somewhere? We pay 6 billion in interest payments alone every year. You think they do that for fun?
Don’t be ridiculous.
They all have their noses in the trough. Hopefully it’ll open up a can of worms.
Bit like asking turkeys to vote for xmas
Someone is paying this guy 150k a year????
Did anyone phone the garda as far as i can see he collected taxpayers money same as a dole scrounger. Michael the number your looking for is 999 or shut the f ….. up with your pretend to be angry bullshit
Varadkar is probably a nice bloke to go have a few pints with but as a leader of our country he is weak, ineffective and holds no serious credibility either home or abroad. We need a leader with a bit of credibility and who is not afraid to take tough decisions.
@The Exhibition Guy – Stephan Murtagh: mostly rubbish stephen.
On what basis has he no credibility abroad? What are you basing that on? All the reports are he and Kenny were and are well respected in European circles.
And they’re not ineffective. They achieve precisely what they want. Which is to stay in office without doing anything. Which is what they Irish people voted for.
Varadkar may or may not be afraid of tough decisions. He has no interest in making them so how would he know? He has no policy agenda or vision for the country. Status quo please. And then off to a board somewhere.
Ohhh, FF and FG aren’t so cosy low, whys that? Ohhh ya the looming election… as predictable as my morning poo!!
Get off the Soap box Martin you are a fine example for honesty and integrity
Arrests should be made.. Aggressive behaviour…..
Why waste valuable time on this issue?. There are more pressing issues to be considered, and they all know this, but it suits them to bladder on about stupid issues. FF failed to drive home the Nail last week against Eoin Murphy, likewise, Harris before, what is Martin playing at?.
have your say