Partial Abortion:

A Partial Abortion is also commonly called a D&X procedure (an abbreviation of dilate and extract) or Intact D&E, or an Intrauterine Cranial Decompression. Partial Abortions are not abortions as defined within medical science. The formal medical definition of the term "abortion" means the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable. Partial Abortions are frequently performed on perfectly healthy, viable babies.

Partial Abortions are usually performed during the fifth month of gestation or later. The woman's cervix is dilated, and the baby is partially removed from the womb, feet first. The surgeon inserts a sharp object into the back of the baby's head, removes it, and inserts a vacuum tube through which the baby's brains are sucked out or "extracted." The baby's head collapses at this point and allows the baby to be more easily removed from the womb.

The exact number of D&X's performed is impossible to estimate with accuracy due to the fact that many abortionists perform them illegally and misreport them to avoid detection. In addition, many states do not have strict reporting regulations. The National Coalition of Abortion Providers, once estimated a total of 3,000 to 4,000 annually in the U.S., or about ten a day.