There is no scientific evidence to suggest that babies develop in the womb any faster now than they did a thousand years ago, leading gynaecologist and women's rights campaigner Wendy Savage said today.
Four-dimensional images of babies developing in the womb were emotive but should not cloud the issue over whether the legal limit of abortion should be lowered in the UK, she said.
Her comments came as doctors at the British Medical Association annual conference today voted by 77% against a motion calling for a reduction in the legal limit of abortion because of medical advances and the development of the foetus in the womb.
It was the first time in 16 years that the BMA, which represents doctors, had considered the legal limit of abortion issue and the profession was deeply divided.
Professor Savage told doctors at the conference in Manchester: "There is no scientific evidence of a foetus developing more rapidly now than it has for a millennium or two."
She said there had not been a huge amount of progress in keeping very young babies alive, as was often claimed.
She said: "The focus I think has to be on the woman. Women do not take these decisions lightly. It is a difficult decision for a woman to terminate a pregnancy."
Earlier in the debate doctors were told that babies born at 23 weeks - one week earlier than the legal limit of abortion - were now surviving.
John McQueen, who proposed the motion that the BMA should call for reducing the 24 week legal limit, said that in the past babies born before at 28 weeks just died.
He said: "Since then there have been enormous developments. Ventilation has become standard, which was the first thing to improve the care of babies. The use of steroids in premature labour has also helped enormously." Mr McQueen, from Bromley, said a small number of babies were now surviving as young as 23 weeks, although often with a high level of disability.
He said it was now very important that there should be a clear window between the viability of a foetus and the upper limit for abortion. But Dr Jan Wise, urging the BMA to reject the motion, said that only a small number of abortions were carried out after 20 weeks - often because of difficulties accessing services.
The doctor told the conference that 25% of primary care trusts did not have targets times to perform terminations. He said: "11% have waits of five to eight weeks.
"This isn't a cosmetic procedure you can sit around and wait for. This is disgusting. There is a lot of anguish in deciding to have such a termination."
Dr Wise said society was putting obstacles in the way of many women wanting an abortion and 38% of women delayed seeking an abortion because or fear, shame or a change in their relationship circumstances.
He said it would be "shameful" if the BMA supported lowering the limit. He told doctors: "This puts an extra burden on the vulnerable and weak who have decided to take this terrible last step."
After the vote, the BMA's head of science and ethics, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, said the result was "compassion winning out".
She said: "There is no doubt that it reflects the reality that doctors see day to day. Patients find it an extremely difficult decision to make and for many people late terminations are a result of things that are largely out of their control."
Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association (fpa), welcomed the doctors' decision to back the present 24-week legal abortion limit.
She said: "Abortion services in the UK are not seen as a priority and many women face problems even trying to obtain an early termination. Today's decision by the BMA is a positive step forward in ensuring that women will be provided with the healthcare services they are entitled to."
