The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld a ban on most abortions this week but left undecided the question of when, exactly, the “fetal heartbeat” limit begins during pregnancy.
, the measure passed by the Republican-dominated General Assembly bans abortion after what it calls a "fetal heartbeat" is identified. The law defines that term as "cardiac activity, or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart, within the gestational sac." Medical professionals can usually detect cardiac activity around six weeks of pregnancy, which is before most people know they are pregnant.
From a medical standpoint, the ACOG says that while electronic impulses signifying "cardiac activity" can be recognized early on, an actual heart is not detectable by ultrasound until roughly 17 to 20 weeks of gestational age.Idaho sued by college professors over law they say criminalizes classroom abortion discussions
"Defining a structure as a heart would put the definition later in pregnancy than earlier when you would see rhythmic contractions of some kind of cardiac structure," she said.Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Beatty questioned how doctors and their lawyers could comply with the law without "a determination of this key point."
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