Sep
18
2009
On Aborting Down Syndrome Babies
Al Mohler’s latest article reflects on the combination of two disturbing developments: (1) 95% of mothers who discover the high risk of Down syndrome in their babies through prenatal screening choose to have the lives of these babies terminated. (2) New technologies for prenatal diagnosis are on their way. The almost-certain result is that there will be more prenatal testing, and therefore more termination of human life.
Dr. Mohler also cites this journal article by Dr. Brian Skotko (an expert in DS), who cites evidences that nearly 1 in 4 doctors either actively “urge” termination or “emphasize” the negative aspects of DS so as to encourage termination.
Dr. Skoto writes:
. . . health care providers have historically operated under the assumption that if a woman consents to prenatal screening or diagnosing, she must believe that having a child with DS would be an undesired outcome and wish to terminate her pregnancy if such a diagnosis were made prenatally.
Knowing that assumption is crucial. As Dr. Mohler writes: “Expectant parents should read that sentence over and over again, and so should those who counsel them.”
5 Comments
My wife an I were in our late 30s when we had our little baby girl, and we were pushed to have a pre-screening and said uniequivocally "no". We even told one of the nurses – Why? We would love the baby no matter what! Needless to say she looked at us like we were from another planet. (Not to mention the fact that we'd have to pay for the screening! LOL).
Still, I find the 92% figure to be way high…I hope I'm right.
one thing to note is that you wouldn't have been in the 8%. The 8% are those who take the test but then bring the baby to term.
JT,
Thank you for highlighting this. I thought you might find of interest Amos Young's Theology and Down's Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity (Baylor University Press, 2007). Amos Young's younger brother has Down' Syndrome and he's writing for, as he puts it in the Preface, the Christian academy, theologians, graduate students, pastors and "theologically-interested laypeople."
9 1/2 years ago I was told our first baby tested positive after this screening test. It wasn't until 3 days later we were told it's just a high probability. How many women would have aborted during that long holiday weekend? Our now 4th grader has no physical disabilities and has held the highest Math average in his class for the past 2 years. Would we have continued had we known for sure? You bet! We denied the amnio after strong advise to move forward with it. We also refused the screening test the next two pregnancies. I can't tell you how many women I have met that have been through the same thing.
I’m a family practice physician who delivers babies, and while I offer this test, I definitely do not really encourage my patients to get it. It often puts them through unnecessary stress, and can lead to more testing. And most people do not understand that it only gives you your “risk.” I know that some people have this test so they can be prepared, but definitely among most people who get it, the idea is that if the test is positive, they will not continue with the pregnancy.