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last wk.

Pregnant Brain-Dead Woman Kept on Life Support Under Georgia Law, Family Challenges Decision

Adriana Smith, declared brain dead in February, remains on life support due to a restrictive abortion law, sparking legal and ethical debates over family rights and fetal viability.

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Adriana Smith serait sous assistance respiratoire depuis trois mois afin de permettre au fœtus de grandir et d’être accouché, bien que les médecins ne soient pas certains de sa viabilité.
Si l'hôpital persiste, Adriana Smith doit encore être gardée en vie pendant trois mois supplémentaires, avant d’arriver au terme de sa grossesse.

Overview

  • Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant woman declared brain dead in February, has been on life support for three months at Emory University Hospital in Georgia.
  • Georgia’s 2019 ‘heartbeat’ law, which prohibits abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, is cited by the hospital as the basis for continuing life support to sustain the pregnancy.
  • Smith’s family, led by her mother April Newkirk, has been denied the authority to decide on discontinuing life support, raising concerns about patient autonomy and family rights.
  • Medical experts are divided on the law’s applicability, with some arguing that Georgia law does not legally require life support in such cases and that withdrawing it would not constitute abortion.
  • The fetus, now at 21 weeks gestation, shows signs of potential complications, including fluid in the brain, raising questions about its viability and long-term health outcomes.