On the recordSeptember 29, 2010
I rise today to discuss an issue that I believe does cross the political divide; and that issue is, protecting children from needless pain. Forty years ago, when Roe v. Wade became the law of the land, it was believed that babies simply did not feel pain. At that time, the medical community thought a baby's nervous system was not yet developed enough to have a sense of pain, so surgeries were literally performed with no anesthesia. Parents were told not to worry if it appeared their child was in pain. We found out the medical community was wrong. Twenty-five years ago, a doctor at Oxford University proved that newborn babies do, in fact, feel pain. His groundbreaking research was inspired by his own recognition of the signs of pain. Dr. Anand noticed preterm babies returning from operations with weak pulses, with rapid heart rates, and other signs of stress that would typically be associated with the feeling of pain. As a result, he studied two groups of babies. One went through surgery without anesthesia, as was the practice at that time. A second group was given anesthesia before the surgery took place. The results were remarkable. Most of the babies who were given pain medicine sailed through the procedures while the babies who were given no pain medicine suffered significant stress. This study opened the eyes of the medical community, shifting both medical opinion and common practice. Today, pain relief for infants is now the standard of care.
