California ProLife Council News 

NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE: ABORTION LINKED TO PREMATURE BIRTH PROBLEMS
Washington, DC -- A new report from a committee of the National Academies of Science finds that a first-trimester abortion, the most common abortion procedure, is linked to an increasing risk of premature birth. The report comes from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), an NAS organization. The IOM published a report this month titled "Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention." In the report is a list of "immutable medical risk factors associated with preterm birth" and "prior first-trimester abortion" is listed third among other risk factors that increase the risk of having a subsequent premature birth. Source: Life News, July 27, 2006

PRO-LIFE GROUPS OPPOSE AMENDMENTS TO PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BILL
Washington, DC -- When the Senate takes up a measure on parental notification today, it will also debate and vote on two pro-abortion amendments that pro-life groups strongly oppose. They say the amendments severely weaken the bill and will loosen the protects for girls and parental rights the legislation is meant to uphold. Today, the Senate will consider the Child Custody Protection Act, a measure that would help uphold state parental notification and consent laws that allow parents to help their teenage daughters avoid abortions. The bill makes it a crime for anyone other than a teenage girl's parents to take her out of state for an abortion. Boyfriends, their parents or abortion facility staff have made it a practice of taking teens to other states for secret abortions. Source: Life News, July 25, 2006

PRO-LIFE GROUPS INCREASING PRESSURE ON AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ON ABORTION
London, England-- International pro-life groups are stepping up pressure on human rights organization Amnesty International to not adopt a pro-abortion position. The group has been considering dropping its long-standing position of neutrality on the controversial issue.AI is more than a year away from a likely discussion and vote on the issue at its annual meeting in Mexico City in 2007 but the debate is already heating up in advance. AI affiliates in Canada, England and New Zealand have announced they support AI backing abortion, but pro-life groups and Catholic organizations are putting heavy pressure on AI not to comply. Source: Life News, July 25, 2006

WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN CLARIFIES COMMENTS ON PRESIDENT BUSH AND STEM CELL RESEARCH
Washington, DC -- White House press secretary Tony Snow said on Monday that he misstated the president's position on embryonic stem cell research by stating that the president thought destroying human embryos for research was "murder." Snow said President Bush regards the destruction as the taking of human life but shouldn't have used the term. Leading up to the president's veto of a bill requiring taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research, Snow said President Bush regarded killing days-old unborn children for their stem cells as "murder." "The president believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder. He's one of them," Snow said at the time. Source: Life News, July 25, 2006

ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH BENEFITS SPINAL CORD PATIENTS LIKE CHRISTOPHER REEVE
Lisbon, Portugal -- Before his death, Superman actor Christopher Reeve captured the hearts of millions with his deeply felt pitch for taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research. However, new studies show that its adult stem cells that are beginning to offer the most hope for those paralyzed from spinal cord injuries. Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal has recently published research showing restored motor function and sensation in a few paralyzed patients using adult stem cells obtained from a patient's own nose. Lima and his research team demonstrated that a patient's own adult stem cells and olfactory mucosa can treat paralysis caused by spinal cord injury. Source: Life News, July 24, 2006

NEW PRESIDENT OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTION BUSINESS MAY NOT LAST LONG
by Jim Sedlak
Earlier this year, Planned Parenthood hired Cecile Richards as its latest president. The obvious question when the organization brings in a new president is, "Will she be one of the 'major presidents' or just a place holder?" We predict that she will be able to fool herself and get by on her charm and drive for a year or so, but after that, it will be the babies that get to her. Source: Life News, July 18, 2006