ON THE BLOG: OBJECTIVE OR SUBJECTIVE?
ON THE BLOG: OBJECTIVE OR SUBJECTIVE?
October was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. An estimated 10–20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, and over one million first- or second-trimester miscarriages occur annually in the U.S. Despite this, a large majority of Americans believe that miscarriage is as rare as occurring in 5% of pregnancies. Every day there is a woman in our country receiving what might be the most perplexing news she has ever heard – the news that the growing life inside her has been halted. Without her consent and without her knowledge, her body now carries what might look like a small death from the ultrasound, but in reality, is an entire future ripped away from a unique individual and a growing family. Wanted or unwanted, the spontaneous and unexpected ending of a pregnancy can be traumatizing to women and their families. During October and throughout the rest of the year, we comfort those we love and extend love to families around the world who are suffering from pregnancy loss. And yet, when it comes to a non-spontaneous abortion (an elective abortion), our cultural heart has gone cold. We have allowed the intentionality and circumstances around the thing to change what that thing is. But the truth is, scientifically and factually, these two things are the same – spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and elective abortion.
Despite recent approval, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy JR. announced last month that the FDA will conduct a new review of the abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol. This push is following an article from the Ethics & Public Policy Center in which they found 10.9% of medical abortions result in a serious adverse event within 45 days of taking mifepristone. It was also found that the failure rate seemed to be twice that of prior US studies. Currently the mifepristone label states a 0.5% chance of serious adverse events.
FDA to Review Abortion Pill
Since 2020, Louisville has lost over 80 childcare centers. Lifehouse Maternity Home is meeting that need by partnering with BrightLife to support families and expectant mothers all over the area. Slated to launch in 2026, BrightLife will be based on the first floor of Lifehouse and will be able to provide childcare for 5-7 children from Age 0-3. This will allow so much more time for mothers at Lifehouse to build a solid foundation for their young families.
Minister of the Month: Lifehouse Maternity Home in Louisville, KT
San Diego-based start up Dionysus Health has launched myLuma, a new commercially available blood test designed to predict a pregnant woman’s risk for postpartum depression. Currently, with up to 80% accuracy, myLuma detects the psychiatric disorder just like any blood test can detect cancer or diabetes. This is a huge step in medical technology that not only affirms women who suffer from postpartum depression that their emotional response to having a baby isn’t “in their head” and allows expectant mothers to take extra measures in preparing for childbirth, such as finding an antidepressant that works for them or broadening their moral support.
New Blood Test Can Predict Postpartum Depression
New Gallup Polling on Abortion
New Gallup Polling Shows Only 30% of Americans believe abortion should be legal “under any circumstance.” Polling shows small increase in people identifying as pro-life and small decrease in people identifying as pro-choice since 2022. This trend tracks with 2023 Gallup Polling Finds Majority of Americans Opposed to Abortion in the 2nd and 3rd Trimester.
According to the new pregnancy help center report by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Pregnancy Resource Centers are “rising to the occasion.” In addition to providing $452 million worth of care to pregnant women around the country, the new data shows that 98% of women treated reported having a positive experience. While 2024 saw increases in the amount of clients and the amount of care provided, the most notable is a 16% increase in the number of women seeking post-abortion support.