New Planned Parenthood video: Doctor wants intact fetal heads for brain harvesting

By PAUL BEDARD 

A new Planned Parenthood video, the 11th in a series of secretly-taped interviews, shows a Texas doctor wishing to conduct an abortion that produces intact fetal heads for brain harvesting.

"I haven't been able to do that yet," said the doctor, Amna Dermish of Planned Parenthood Austin. "This will give me something to strive for."

The video is the latest in the sting produced by the The Center for Medical Progress in the ongoing Planned Parenthood baby parts scandal that has led to the formation of a special investigative committee in Congress because the women's health group receives federal funding.

The 11th video from the abortion parts series produced by the Center for Medical Progress.

It could also bring renewed pressure on three GOP Senate holdouts on legislative efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.

Republican Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska havn't committeed to the defunding measure and without their support it is likely to fall short of the needed 51 votes, according to reports.

In the latest video, Dr. Dermish tells the camera that she was trained by the Senior Director of Medical Services at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Dr. Deborah Nucatola.

"My aim is usually to get the specimens out pretty intact," says Dermish, who said she sometimes uses ultrasound guidance to convert a 2nd-trimester fetus to a feet-first breech presentation: "Especially the 20-weekers are a lot harder versus the 18-weekers, so at that point I'll switch to breech."

In the transcript provided by the Center, she said, "That's what Deb [Nucatola] was telling us, was it really makes a difference for tissue collection at PPLA."

Asked about harvesting fetal brain, Dermish said, "I haven't been able to do that yet," but "this will give me something to strive for."