“Late-term” actually short for “late termination” meaning stopping a pregnancy after 20 weeks and usually before 24 week. Normally, they are only done because the mother is
sick or the
baby is so deformed it won’t live. With a
sick mom, after 24 weeks they would
normal induce labor and once born the
baby would be in the care of neonatal intensive care unit to help it survive.
Only nine states and the District of Columbia allow abortions after 24 weeks without restrictions. And those are very very rare (0.3%) because these abortions costs $15,000 or more in cash.
The general public, including our political leaders, confuse the abbreviation “term.” with “term” meaning a fixed or limited period for which something last (37 -42 weeks in regards to pregnancy). Two very very different meanings.
Actually, “late term abortion” is redundant, because termination is the medical word for elective abortion. It should either be late term. Or late abortion.
The only “abortion” of an unwanted pregnancy at 37-42 weeks of pregnancy is actually inducing labor,
normal birth of a live
baby, and adoption to new
parents.