Woman unable to get abortion may be forced to give birth to headless baby

A woman in the US might be forced to give birth to a baby with no head due to current abortion bans.

Nancy Davis, from Louisiana, was just 10 weeks into her pregnancy when an ultrasound revealed her foetus had no head.

And, since the reversal of Roe V Wade made abortion inaccessible in the southern state, Nancy was left with few options.

Bob Korn / Alamy Stock Photo

Describing the harrowing moment she found out there was something wrong with her pregnancy, Nancy said: "It was an abnormal ultrasound, and they noticed the top of the baby’s head was missing and the skull was missing, the top of the skull was missing."

Louisiana's restrictive abortion ban means that she will either be forced to give birth to a baby without a skull or travel miles to Florida and receive an out-of-state abortion.

It's a decision no woman should have to make, with Nancy adding: "It’s hard, knowing that I’m carrying it to bury it, you know what I’m saying?"

Stacey DiFazio / Alamy Stock Photo

For those unfamiliar, the United States Supreme Court decided to overturn the 49-year-old Roe V Wade ruling that granted millions of women the legal right to abortion.

Back in June, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the state in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation case, in which the state of Mississippi argued for a new law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, overturning the Roe V Wade ruling.

Following this, some states introduced new restrictions, or bans on abortions, while others have reactivated dormant laws that make abortion access illegal, possibly even when conception occurred as a result of rape or incest.

Robert K. Chin / Alamy Stock Photo

Louisiana is one such state that passed incredibly restrictive legislation following the overturning of the landmark case.

The republican-led state has banned all abortions except for cases where the mother's life is in jeopardy and some when the foetus is nonviable.

You might be thinking surely that includes Nancy? But it doesn't.

The list of medical conditions that are considered to make pregnancy 'medically futile' or a foetus 'nonviable' isn't extensive.

Earlier this month the Louisiana Department of Health released a list of conditions that would make pregnancy 'futile' and that list had conditions missing, like acrania, which caused Nancy's foetus to form without a skull.

For help, support, and advice about abortion, contact the National Abortion Federation on 1-800-772-9100, EST 8am-7pm EST Monday to Friday or EST 8am-4pm EST Saturday to Sunday.