Netherlands hospitals will commit abortions up to 24 weeks, instead of 22– www.lifesitenews.com

(LifeSiteNews) — Dutch hospitals will start to commit abortions on demand up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, up from the previous limit of 22 weeks.

While the abortion law in the Netherlands broadly allows abortions up to 24 weeks (defined as the legal age of “viability”), hospitals generally only committed abortions until the 22nd week because babies 22 weeks or older can now often survive with neonatal care.

The Dutch newspaper AD reported that the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) and hospitals have agreed on a new protocol in which hospitals will commit abortions between 22 and 24 weeks on demand, despite many babies being able to survive outside of the womb at that age.

As Brussels Signal reports, the change was made to prevent women from traveling abroad for an abortion.