El Salvador abortion woman gives birth by C-section

BBC News, 4 June 2013

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The case has drawn considerable
attention

A seriously ill woman who was denied an abortion by the Supreme Court in El Salvador has undergone a premature Caesarean section.

The 22-year-old woman sought to end the pregnancy, because her life was at risk due to lupus and kidney problems.

The foetus developed without a complete brain and skull and died shortly after birth.

Last week the court upheld El Salvador's absolute ban on abortions under any circumstances.

However, Health Minister Maria Isabel Rodriguez said a Caesarean was an acceptable intervention.

"She's in good hands, being looked after well," she told Reuters news agency, shortly before the woman, known only by the pseudonym Beatriz, underwent the Caesarean. "I expect things to go well over the next few hours."

A medical committee at her maternity hospital, the Ministry of Health and rights groups had all supported Beatriz's request to terminate her pregnancy, but judges at the Supreme Court voted four-to-one to reject the woman's legal appeal.

The case has drawn international attention to El Salvador's strict abortion laws, particularly from campaigners for the legalisation of abortion in cases where the mother's or foetus's life are at risk.

Related Article:

Baby born to El Salvador woman denied abortion dies after C-section