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SAN DIEGO, January 23, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – There is hope for women who have started a chemical abortion but then changed their minds and decided to keep their babies, according to a case study of six women.

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The study, the first of its kind, was published in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of Pharmacotherapy.

RU-486, commonly known as the “abortion pill,” is actually a series of two drugs: a dose of between 200 to 600 mg of mifepristone, followed 48 hours later by 400 μg of oral misoprostol. 

Doctors George Delgado and Mary Davenport reported that six U.S. doctors trained in NaProTECHNOLOGY protocols at the Pope Paul VI Institute gave progesterone as an antidote to mifepristone to seven patients seeking to halt abortions already in progress.  Of the seven women, four carried healthy infants to term, two lost their babies, and one failed to follow up with the doctor, leaving the fate of her infant unknown.

“The 2-day gap between the ingestion of mifepristone and misoprostol in the typical abortion regimen potentially affords an opportunity to intervene and reverse the effects of the mifepristone,” wrote the study authors.

They concluded, “Health care professionals should be aware of the possible use of progesterone to reverse … the medical abortion process.”

Dr. Delgado, who participated in and co-authored the study, recounted his experience with one patient on a website promoting the life-saving treatment. 

“Rhonda and Gary were both 18, in love, and in college,” wrote Delgado. “Like many in our society, they did not think that having sex prior to marriage carried any consequences or could hurt them in any way. Although they used contraception, they conceived a child. Suddenly, all the plans for college and a bright future were in disarray. They were confused and frightened and did not know where to turn.”

“Rhonda decided she should have an abortion as that seemed to be the best ‘solution’ to her ‘problem,” the doctor wrote. “Gary did not agree with her, but he felt he should not try to dissuade her.”

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When the couple told Rhonda’s mother, she begged them to choose life for their baby, but after several arguments, Rhonda prevailed and her mother agreed to help her get an abortion.

At less than seven weeks along, Rhonda chose to take mifepristone, or RU-486. After the first dose, her mother was filled with regret and sought the counsel of her priest, who offered to speak to Rhonda.  At first, Rhonda wanted nothing to do with the priest, but later that day, she changed her mind and went to see him. As they spoke, she started having second thoughts about the abortion.  The priest put her in touch with Dr. Delgado.

Soon after, Rhonda and her family met Dr. Delgado in his office.  He performed an ultrasound to see if the baby was still alive. 

“When Rhonda, her mother, and Gary saw the embryo in her uterus with a beating heart, they began to cry,” recounted Delgado. “These were tears of joy that the baby was still alive but also tears of remorse, for each of them, individually, regretted the decisions they had made.”

“They wanted to know what they could do to reverse the mifepristone,” wrote Delgado. “I explained to Rhonda the risks of the situation and offered her progesterone therapy since mifepristone functions as a progesterone antagonist. She agreed to proceed, hoping and praying for the best.”

The treatment worked.  Delgado continued to see Rhonda throughout the first trimester of her pregnancy. He described the “transformation” he saw in the family as they “recommitted to their faith” and developed a “beautiful love, joy and peace” about the pregnancy.

By the end of the first trimester, Delgado was able to refer Rhonda to an obstetrician.   At the time of his report, she was nearing the midpoint of her pregnancy.  Wrote Delgado, “[A]ll of her ultrasounds indicate that all is well with her baby and her. Rhonda feels blessed to have been given a second chance; a second chance she feels was by the grace of God.”