The Washington Post‘s fact checker Glenn Kessler sure was quick to try to backup Stacey Abrams’ false claim that unborn human beings do not have a heartbeat at six weeks.
Any parent or someone who has read a pregnancy book or can perform a simple Google search knows the unborn human being has a heartbeat at six weeks.
It’s the most beautiful sound in the world. It’s so strong it can change someone from pro-abortion to pro-life.
No wonder they don’t want anyone to have an ultrasound.
Anything to dehumanize a human being. They must change the language and twist the truth in any form to justify their ends.
They claim they’re the party of science, but when science goes against their agenda, you have to change it. Roe v. Wade goes away, states take steps to protect unborn human beings, so we must mangle the English language to “prove” abortion doesn’t end the life of an unborn human being.
What Abrams said is awful and a lie. But I’m going hard on Kessler because it is literally his job to fact-check politicians. He’s not just a reporter. He is literally a fact-checker.
And plenty of websites literally prove Abrams and Kessler are spouting misinformation.
Healthline: “Your doctor will monitor your baby’s heartbeat at each prenatal appointment. You may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat for the first time as early as 6 weeks.”
What to Expect: “You may see (and/or hear) cardiac activity for the first time from week 6 of pregnancy or later if you have an ultrasound at one of your early prenatal appointments, though the timing of when it can be detected can vary a bit.”
Oh, wait. What to Expect has some excellent information:
By week 5 of pregnancy, the cluster of cells that will become your baby’s heart has begun to develop and pulse. If you have a first trimester ultrasound (around or after week 6 of pregnancy), your practitioner or a trained sonographer will check on this embryonic cardiac activity.—By 6 weeks, the embryonic heart cells will pulse about 110 times a minute. In just two more weeks, the fetal heart system will contract at a pace of around 150 to 170 times a minute. That’s about twice as fast as yours!
Babycenter: “You may be able to see the beating of cells in the heart tube for the first time when you’re about 6 weeks pregnant if you have an early ultrasound exam.”
American Pregnancy Association: “Between 5 ½ to 6 ½ weeks, a fetal pole or even a fetal heartbeat may be detected by vaginal ultrasound. The fetal pole is the first visible sign of a developing embryo. This pole structure actually has some curve to it with the embryo’s head at one end and what looks like a tail at the other end.”
Very Well Family: “While the heart of a fetus is still developing, it may be detectable by ultrasound as early as 6 weeks gestation. Technically, it is not a fetus at this point but an embryo, and the heartbeat is only visible on an ultrasound, not audible this early in pregnancy.”
Larry O’Connor shows us where the myth started, and the long list of corrections The Atlantic had to put in its article. I’m laughing.
The responses are fantastic, but Physics Geek always has a response worthy of showing off.
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