§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of research published by the Medical Research Council which concludes that the foetus may be aware of pain after 20 weeks of gestation, revised guidance has been issued to hospitals and other medical establishments with regard to pain relief for premature babies. [HL1021]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)This research concluded that the experience of pain in the unborn or new-born is still poorly understood and pointed to concern about the effects of anaesthetics and analgesics. The possibility of harmful long-term effects of pain in prematurely born babies is a matter of serious concern, but this has to be carefully balanced against the potential risks of the analgesics themselves. It is essential to establish that the treatment does not do greater harm to the developing brain than the pain it is intended to relieve and for this understanding to be reached before it is possible to issue guidance.