The University of Pittsburgh admits to the use of a procedure that may allow aborted babies to be born alive only to harvest their body parts while the baby is still alive.

(PITTSBURGH, PA) New evidence regarding taxpayer-funded experiments at the University of Pittsburgh seems to indicate that aborted babies are allowed to be born alive for purposes of extracting vital organs while the child is still living.  If so, this gruesome activity is in violation of the law, and must be immediately stopped and investigated by law enforcement and elected officials, and those involved held to account.

“I join with so many Pennsylvanians in a collective response of horror to these recent reports,” says retired Judge Cheryl Allen with the Pennsylvania Family Institute. “As an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, I am extremely troubled and call for an urgent investigation into what appears to be illegal, inhumane and taxpayer-funded practices at this public university.”  

Several doctors have responded to statements made by Pitt, particularly about “ischemia time” – blood flow to parts of the body – which the University describes as the period after the tissue collection procedure. “If it says ischemia time starts after tissue collection, that means that the baby is still alive at the time that they’re harvesting the tissue,” says Dr. Christina Francis, a board-certified OB-GYN from the state of Indiana. “It’s horrific and does not constitute good science or compassionate medical care.”

Dr. Ronna Jurow, a pro-choice OB-GYN, reports that “there’s no question” the baby would be alive during the collection procedure. In Pitt’s NIH application, they listed three types of abortion procedures that would potentially be used: dilation and curettage, dilation and evacuation, or labor-induction abortions. The first two involve dismembering the unborn baby in the abortion procedure or the use of a feticide like digoxin, both of which would render the baby unusable for organ harvesting. “If Pittsburgh wants live tissue, they cannot use digoxin,” commented Dr. Jurow.

“Kermit Gosnell is in jail for the murder of seven babies born alive and then killed,” comments Dan Bartkowiak with the Pennsylvania Family Institute. “If the killing of babies after they are born alive from an abortion procedure is such a heinous and illegal crime – which it absolutely is – why are we not investigating the University of Pittsburgh when evidence has surfaced showing they may be killing aborted babies that are born alive as well?”

Pennsylvania law on infanticide clearly states that any human being born alive in the course of an abortion – “no matter what may be that human being’s chance of survival” – is a person to be protected under the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth. Violation of this law is a third degree felony, which would include a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

This new evidence comes on the heels of a published Pitt study where the scalps of aborted babies were grafted onto lab rats. It also comes after the Pennsylvania House Health Committee, chaired by State Representative Kathy Rapp (R-Warren), held a hearing in May on fetal experimentation where a representative from Pitt testified but dodged lawmakers’ questions, leaving many important questions unanswered. The Pitt spokesman who testified had only been with the University for three months and had no involvement in their fetal tissue experimentation. 

Thousands of Pennsylvania citizens have already called for an end to all fetal experimentations at the University of Pittsburgh and for a full investigation into these taxpayer-funded experiments. 

It’s worth noting that several of the key chief law officers in the position to conduct an investigation are extremely pro-abortion and favorable to Planned Parenthood, the state’s largest abortion business. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood employs staff members that are also employed by UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital where the University obtains many of these babies being experimented upon, apparently while they are still alive until their death from the acts being inflicted upon them.

  • Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has said, should Roe v. Wade be overturned, he would not prosecute any medical professional for performing an abortion.
    • What about babies born alive and then killed in the name of research? Not according to Pennsylvania law. Will DA Zappala enforce the law and investigate Pitt?
  • Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently tweeted, “Abortion is healthcare,” and has Planned Parenthood as an ally and campaign donor.
    • Are babies born alive and then killed considered healthcare? Not according to Pennsylvania law. Will AG Shapiro enforce the law and investigate Pitt?
  • Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has vetoed sensible pro-life legislation, also claiming abortion is healthcare and that it’s not a politician’s place to decide what a woman can do.
    • Is it the governor’s place to enforce current law on infanticide and stop it anywhere it’s happening? Will Governor Wolf enforce the law and investigate Pitt?

This development has received national attention with several pro-life advocates speaking out in horror of the situation: