US Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday, February 21, said that she considers frozen embryos created through in-vitro fertilization “babies,” taking side with the Alabama Supreme Court. In an interview she said, “Embryos, to me, are babies,” reported NBC News. 

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She said this in reference to an issue that resonates with conservative voters three days prior to South Carolina’s primary contest. The Palmetto State is set to hold its primary on Saturday where religious conservatives make up a significant portion of the electorate.

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In a recent development last week, Justices on the state’s top court recognised unimplanted human embryos as children and issued orders that a state law allow parents to recover punitive damages for their children’s deaths includes the parents of unborn children, regardless of ability to survive outside the womb. 

The former South Carolina governor told NBC News, “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me — that’s a life — and so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that.” Earlier, she signed a bill that banned abortion at 20 weeks as governor that gave no exceptions to rape or incest cases.

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When asked about the impact the Alabama decision could have on those seeking IVF treatment, the Republican Presidential candidate said, “It’s incredibly personal, it’s incredibly sensitive, and I think that’s the conversation the doctor needs to have with the patient. Let’s never underestimate the importance of the relationship between a doctor and patient when they’re doing any of that,” reported Bloomberg. Alabama Supreme Court judgement might make it more difficult for people to conceive via fertility treatments as the Court recently ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.

Nikki Haley disclosed that her son who is now 22, was conceived via artificial insemination. She previously stated that she’s “unapologetically pro-life.” Haley had said that states should decide their own abortion policies and had downplayed the idea of a federal ban, during last year’s Republican primary debates.

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As per RealClearPolitics polling average, Haley trails behind the GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, by 25 percentage points in her home state and is the only remaining competitor to Trump. Other competitors including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race after the Iowa contest.

(With Bloomberg inputs)

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Published: 22 Feb 2024, 08:25 AM IST