Locating the beginnings of pain.
This paper examines the question of whether a fetus can feel pain. The question is divided into four sub questions: What is pain? What is the neurology of pain processing? What is the fetus? Are there good reasons for holding that fetuses feel pain? Pain is suggested to be a multi-dimensional phenom...
| Publicado en: | Bioethics Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 1 - 2 |
|---|---|
| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Wiley-Blackwell
Jan1999
|
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=106091615&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 106091615 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 02699702 6PJ jtl: Bioethics issn: 02699702 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Jan1999 vid: 13 iid: 1 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 106091615 2009429597 NLM11657057 106091615 ppf: 1 ppct: 1 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Locating the beginnings of pain. aug: au: Derbyshire SW sug: subj: Brain Fetus Pain Reproduction Abortion, Induced Analgesia Anesthesia Drugs Fetal Diseases Therapy Great Britain Infant, Newborn Physicians Practice Guidelines Professional Organizations Self Concept Fetus, conception to birth Infant, Newborn: birth-1 month ab: This paper examines the question of whether a fetus can feel pain. The question is divided into four sub questions: What is pain? What is the neurology of pain processing? What is the fetus? Are there good reasons for holding that fetuses feel pain? Pain is suggested to be a multi-dimensional phenomenon drawing on emotional and sensory processes--a consequence of a gradual development involving a number of noxious events rather than an automatic consequence of injury or disease. The nonautomaticity of pain is emphasised in the discussion of pain neurology that defies explanations based on a specialised neuronal `pain-centre'. The development of the fetus is considered with respect to developmental neurobiology, behavioural and neurological responses to stimulation, and hormonal and neurochemical responses to noxious stimulation. While acknowledging that the development of the fetus is complex, especially after 26 weeks gestation, considerable development is still to occur, even after birth. The fetal pain literature is criticised for tending to exaggerate fetal development. Finally, the difficulty of explaining the subjectivity of pain in materialist terms is discussed. Pain is suggested to arise with development of the necessary neurological, cognitive and emotional structures. Pain experience is placed at approximately 12 months of age, though this is within the context of a continuum of awareness rather than a straight `on-off' switch. The major moral implication of this stance is to place the burden of proof for analgesic use onto clinical measures, rather than relying upon the, so far, poorly supported assumption of pain awareness. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|