Fetal|NNP Viability|NNP "|'' Viability|NNP "|'' has|VBZ become|VBN the|DT focus|NN of|IN the|DT abortion|NN debate|NN .|. 
Last|JJ week|NN ,|, the|DT Senate|NNP rejected|VBD Majority|NNP Leader|NNP Tom|NNP Daschle|NNP 's|POS bill|NN banning|VBG the|DT abortion|NN of|IN "|'' viable|JJ fetuses|NNS .|. "|'' 
But|CC William|NNP Bennett|NNP and|CC William|NNP Safire|NNP hailed|VBD Daschle|NNP 's|POS bill|NN as|IN the|DT great|JJ compromise|NN that|WDT might|MD settle|VB a|DT quarter|NN century|NN of|IN arguments|NNS about|IN abortion|NN .|. 
Forty-one|NNP states|NNS already|RB restrict|VBP the|DT abortion|NN of|IN viable|JJ fetuses|NNS .|. 
What|WP is|VBZ a|DT viable|JJ fetus|NN ?|. 
How|WRB is|VBZ the|DT concept|NN of|IN viability|NN relevant|JJ to|TO the|DT moral|JJ and|CC legal|JJ issues|NNS of|IN abortion|NN ?|. 

Roe|NNP vs.|NN Wade|NNP ,|, the|DT 1973|CD case|NN legalizing|VBG abortion|NN ,|, made|VBD fetal|JJ viability|NN an|DT important|JJ legal|JJ concept|NN .|. 
The|DT Supreme|NNP Court|NNP ruled|VBD that|IN states|NNS cannot|NN put|VBD the|DT interests|NNS of|IN a|DT fetus|NN ahead|RB of|IN the|DT interests|NNS of|IN the|DT pregnant|JJ woman|NN until|IN the|DT fetus|NN is|VBZ "|'' viable|JJ .|. "|'' 
The|DT court|NN defined|VBD viable|JJ to|TO mean|VB capable|JJ of|IN prolonged|JJ life|NN outside|IN the|DT mother|NN 's|POS womb|NN .|. 
It|PRP said|VBD this|DT included|VBD fetuses|NNS that|IN doctors|NNS expected|VBN to|TO be|VB sustained|VBN by|IN respirators|NNS .|. 
The|DT court|NN accepted|VBD the|DT conventional|JJ medical|JJ wisdom|NN that|IN a|DT fetus|NN becomes|VBZ viable|JJ at|IN the|DT start|NN of|IN the|DT last|JJ third|NN of|IN a|DT pregnancy|NN ,|, the|DT third|JJ trimester|NN ,|, sometime|RB between|IN the|DT 24|CD th|NN and|CC 28|CD th|NN week|NN (|( a|DT pregnancy|NN usually|RB lasts|VBZ 38|CD weeks|NNS )|) .|. 
Because|IN the|DT point|NN of|IN viability|NN varies|VBZ ,|, the|DT court|NN ruled|VBD ,|, it|PRP could|MD only|RB be|VB determined|VBN case|NN by|IN case|NN and|CC by|IN the|DT woman|NN 's|POS own|JJ doctor|NN .|. 
Even|RB if|IN the|DT fetus|NN is|VBZ viable|JJ ,|, the|DT court|NN said|VBD ,|, states|NNS could|MD not|RB outlaw|NN an|DT abortion|NN if|IN the|DT woman|NN 's|POS life|NN or|CC health|NN was|VBD at|IN stake|NN .|. 

Justice|NNP Sandra|NNP Day|NNP O'Connor|NNP argued|VBD in|IN a|DT 1983|CD decision|NN that|IN Roe|NNP was|VBD on|IN a|DT "|'' collision|NN course|NN with|IN itself|PRP .|. "|'' 
She|PRP said|VBD that|IN improvements|NNS in|IN technology|NN would|MD continually|RB push|VB the|DT point|NN of|IN fetal|JJ viability|NN closer|JJR to|TO the|DT beginning|NN of|IN the|DT pregnancy|NN ,|, allowing|VBG states|NNS greater|JJR opportunity|NN to|TO regulate|VB the|DT right|NN to|TO an|DT abortion|NN .|. 
And|CC this|DT seems|VBZ to|TO be|VB the|DT case|JJ --|: up|RP to|TO a|DT point|NN .|. 
Doctors|NNS now|RB believe|VBP a|DT fetus|NN can|MD become|VB viable|JJ during|IN the|DT 23|CD rd|NN week|JJ --|: a|DT week|NN earlier|RBR than|IN was|VBD thought|VBN 24|CD years|NNS ago|RB .|. 
Most|JJS hospitals|NNS will|MD only|RB perform|VB abortions|NNS through|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN week|NN of|IN pregnancy|NN .|. 

But|CC no|DT baby|NN has|VBZ ever|RB been|VBN successfully|RB delivered|VBN before|IN the|DT middle|NN of|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN week|NN .|. 
Babies|NNS delivered|VBN during|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN and|CC 23|CD rd|NN weeks|NNS weigh|VBP just|RB over|IN a|DT pound|NN .|. 
Their|PRP$ lungs|NNS have|VBP barely|RB formed|VBN and|CC their|PRP$ airways|NNS are|VBP not|RB developed|VBN enough|RB to|TO inhale|NN .|. 
Circulation|NNP depends|VBZ on|IN the|DT use|NN of|IN ventilators|NNS and|CC injections|NNS of|IN hormones|NNS .|. 
A|DT baby|NN born|VBN during|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN week|NN has|VBZ a|DT 14.8|CD 
percent|NN chance|NN of|IN survival|NN .|. 
And|CC about|IN half|NN of|IN these|DT survivors|NNS are|VBP brain-damaged|JJ ,|, either|CC by|IN lack|NN of|IN oxygen|NN (|( from|IN poor|JJ initial|JJ respiration|NN )|) or|CC too|RB much|JJ oxygen|NN (|( from|IN the|DT ventilator|NN )|) .|. 
Neonatologists|NNP predict|VBP that|IN no|DT baby|NN will|MD ever|RB be|VB viable|JJ before|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN week|NN ,|, because|IN before|IN then|RB the|DT lungs|NNS are|VBP not|RB fully|RB formed|VBN .|. 

Probability|NNP of|IN survival|NN increases|NNS for|IN babies|NNS born|VBN later|RB in|IN pregnancy|NN :|: 25|CD percent|NN in|IN the|DT 23|CD rd|NN week|NN ,|, 42|CD percent|NN in|IN the|DT 24|CD th|NN week|NN ,|, 57|CD percent|NN in|IN 25|CD th|NN week|NN .|. 
By|IN the|DT 30|CD th|NN week|NN ,|, when|WRB a|DT newborn|JJ does|VBZ n't|RB require|VB a|DT ventilator|NN to|TO breathe|VB ,|, it|PRP has|VBZ a|DT 90|CD percent|NN chance|NN of|IN survival|NN .|. 
And|CC only|RB after|IN the|DT 30|CD th|NN week|NN do|VBP the|DT risks|NNS of|IN long-term|JJ brain|NN damage|NN begin|VB to|TO substantially|RB subside|NN .|. 
Because|IN premature|JJ babies|NNS depend|VBP on|IN technology|NN ,|, survival|NN rates|NNS vary|VBP based|VBN on|IN access|NN to|TO that|DT technology|NN .|. For|IN instance|NN ,|, in|IN rural|JJ communities|NNS ,|, which|WDT commonly|RB lack|NN expensive|JJ infant|NN intensive-care|JJ units|NNS ,|, survival|NN rates|NNS in|IN these|DT early|JJ weeks|NNS are|VBP much|RB lower|JJR .|. 

Doctors|NNS assess|VBP a|DT fetus|NN 's|POS viability|NN by|IN attempting|VBG to|TO guess|VB whether|IN its|PRP$ lungs|NNS have|VBP formed|VBN .|. 
Sonograms|NNP allow|VB doctors|NNS to|TO estimate|VB the|DT fetus|NN 's|POS weight|NN ,|, which|WDT correlates|NNS with|IN the|DT lungs|NNS '|POS development|NN ,|, and|CC to|TO look|VB for|IN signs|JJ --|: such|JJ as|IN the|DT development|NN of|IN functioning|VBG eyelids|NNS and|CC creases|NNS in|IN the|DT skin|JJ --|: that|IN coincide|VB with|IN the|DT onset|NN of|IN a|DT functioning|VBG respiratory|JJ system|NN .|. 
None|NN of|IN the|DT methods|NNS for|IN predicting|VBG viability|NN are|VBP very|RB precise|JJ .|. 

Despite|IN important|JJ Supreme|NNP Court|NNP decisions|NNS since|IN 1973|CD modifying|VBG the|DT doctrine|NN of|IN Roe|NNP ,|, the|DT court|NN 's|POS thinking|VBG about|IN fetal|JJ viability|NN has|VBZ remained|VBN fairly|RB constant|JJ .|. 
The|DT only|RB significant|JJ revision|NN came|VBD in|IN the|DT Casey|NNP decision|NN (|( 1992|CD )|) ,|, which|WDT made|VBD viability|NN even|RB more|RBR important|JJ .|. 
The|DT court|NN said|VBD that|IN state|NN laws|NNS could|MD require|VB a|DT woman|NN and|CC her|PRP$ doctor|NN to|TO perform|VB tests|NNS to|TO prove|VB that|IN a|DT fetus|NN is|VBZ not|RB viable|JJ before|IN she|PRP obtains|NNS an|DT abortion|NN .|. 

Forty-one|NNP states|NNS now|RB have|VBP laws|NNS restricting|VBG post-viability|JJ abortions|NNS .|. 
Some|DT allow|VBP doctors|NNS to|TO decide|VB for|IN themselves|PRP if|IN the|DT fetus|NN is|VBZ viable|JJ .|. 
Some|DT require|VBP doctors|NNS to|TO perform|VB tests|NNS to|TO prove|VB a|DT fetus|NN is|VBZ pre-viable|JJ and|CC require|VB multiple|JJ doctors|NNS to|TO certify|VB the|DT findings|NNS .|. 
Eleven|CD states|NNS have|VBP banned|VBN the|DT procedure|NN called|VBD intact|JJ dilation|NN and|CC extraction|NN (|( IDE|NNP )|) --|: also|RB known|VBN as|IN partial-birth|JJ abortion|NN --|: in|IN the|DT belief|NN that|IN this|DT procedure|NN is|VBZ used|VBN mainly|RB post-viability|JJ .|. 

Banning|NNP IDEs|NNP nationwide|JJ is|VBZ a|DT major|JJ goal|NN of|IN the|DT pro-life|JJ movement|NN .|. 
Movement|NNP adherents|NNS claim|VBP that|IN the|DT IDE|NNP procedure|JJ --|: in|IN which|WDT delivery|NN is|VBZ induced|VBN ,|, the|DT fetus|NN 's|POS skull|NN is|VBZ crushed|VBN ,|, and|CC its|PRP$ brains|NNS are|VBP suctioned|JJ --|: amounts|VBZ to|TO infanticide|NN .|. 
Barring|VBG this|DT procedure|NN is|VBZ also|RB the|DT only|JJ regulation|NN of|IN abortion|NN that|IN public-opinion|JJ polls|NNS say|VBP has|VBZ a|DT majority|NN of|IN support|NN .|. 
Pro-choicers|NNP say|VBP the|DT ban|NN on|IN IDEs|NNP is|VBZ inconsistent|JJ with|IN Roe|NNP ,|, because|IN the|DT procedure|NN can|MD be|VB used|VBN to|TO abort|NN pre-viable|JJ fetuses|NNS .|. 

Some|DT medical|JJ ethicists|NNS and|CC constitutional|JJ scholars|NNS say|VBP that|IN the|DT Supreme|NNP Court|NNP was|VBD wrong|JJ to|TO create|VB the|DT pre-viability|JJ /|NN post-viability|JJ distinction|NN in|IN the|DT first|JJ place|NN .|. 
Why|WRB ,|, they|PRP ask|VBP ,|, does|VBZ the|DT fact|NN that|IN a|DT fetus|NN can|MD survive|VB outside|IN the|DT womb|NN with|IN the|DT help|NN of|IN vast|JJ medical|JJ technology|NN change|NN either|CC of|IN the|DT interests|NNS at|IN war|NN in|IN the|DT abortion|NN debate|NN :|: the|DT fetus|NN 's|POS own|JJ claim|NN to|TO "|'' human-ness|JJ "|'' and|CC a|DT woman|NN 's|POS right|NN to|TO control|VB her|PRP$ body|NN ?|. 
Even|RB if|IN viability|NN is|VBZ an|DT important|JJ moral|JJ line|NN ,|, is|VBZ it|PRP drawn|VBN in|IN the|DT right|JJ place|NN ?|. 
Keeping|VBG alive|JJ a|DT baby|NN born|VBN in|IN the|DT 22|CD nd|NN week|NN costs|NNS several|JJ hundred|CD thousand|CD dollars|NNS and|CC usually|RB fails|VBZ ,|, regardless|RB of|IN the|DT effort|NN .|. 

The|DT fuss|NNS over|IN post-viability|JJ abortions|NNS ultimately|RB concerns|VBZ only|RB a|DT very|RB small|JJ number|NN of|IN procedures|NNS .|. 
Less|JJR than|IN one|CD percent|NN of|IN all|DT abortions|NNS performed|VBN take|VB place|NN after|IN the|DT 21|CD st|NN week|NN .|. 
In|IN 1992|CD ,|, only|RB 1,070|CD abortions|NNS were|VBD performed|VBN after|IN the|DT 25|CD th|NN week|NN .|. 

