# Do late term aborted fetuses make squeaking or other vocal sounds when killed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992 "2003-04-25T00:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/1 "2003-04-25T00:45:23Z")
Per this remark in this [GD thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=178964)about partial birth abortions > [@](#): > > I remember reading something in a magazine about late abortions [the sort where the foetus is killed by saline injection then labour is induced] a woman working in a hospital went into a [?] room for something and heard a sqeaking noise, fearing mice or some other vermin she looked around and found an aborted foetus which had been dumped in a bucket and was clearly still alive. Aparently this sort of thing was quite a common occurance in hospitals where late abortions were available Is there any medical or other emperical evidence existing that late term aborted fetuses can vocalize as they are being killed? Is it physiologically reasonable to expect that late term fetuses could vocalize as they are being killed or is this not posssible? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/2 "2003-04-25T01:45:06Z")
Maybe 20 years ago I was watching Pat Robertson’s 700 Club show, and apparently the fetuses sing “Let Me Live! Let Me Live!” with the voice of a large children’s choir. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/3 "2003-04-25T01:50:22Z")
Generally speaking, in order to vocalise you have to breath air. So any voacalisation would have to be made by the born, rather than the unborn. If you get my drift. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/4 "2003-04-25T02:07:38Z")
according to an old (probably '80’s) anti-abortion video called “the silent scream”, a video (ultrasound probably) of a baby (probably in the 1st or 2nd trimester) opened its mouth to scream, whether it vocalized or not and was struggling to get away from the vacuum. it was sooo sad! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/5 "2003-04-25T05:48:50Z")
How can you say it’s opening it’s mouth to scream? Can something like that possibly be known? Without air or sound, opening your mouth is just… opening your mouth. Guessing that screaming is intended is just a guess. Not that I’d accuse people who produced something called “the silent scream” of being unscientific. 😉 😉 😉 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/6 "2003-04-26T00:46:57Z")
Thanks for the information! ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-late-term-aborted-fetuses-make-squeaking-or-other-vocal-sounds-when-killed/170992/7 "2003-04-26T04:03:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*How can you say it’s opening it’s mouth to scream? Can something like that possibly be known? > Without air or sound, opening your mouth is just… opening your mouth. Guessing that screaming is intended is just a guess. Not that I’d accuse people who produced something called “the silent scream” of being unscientific. 😉 😉 😉 \*\* I reckon chest contractions associated with the newborns (even those born premature) instinct to cry after birth may indicate an attempt at screaming. The fetus will take practice breaths in the womb to get the lungs up to speed. They already know how to use their lungs before they are born. So it is not a stretch to say that a painful stimulus (abortive procedure) may cause this reaction.