Prenatal Testing

Readers are having a serious, considered conversation about the implications of the new early detection Down's syndrome pre-natal test that was announced today.

"I am the father of a Downs child. She is now 21 years old and my life has never known a greater joy. My life is so much richer because of my good girl than it would have been without her, or even had she been a so-called 'normal' child, " writes HondosNo1Fan, adding, "Whether or not to abort a pregnancy is always a deeply personal decision. This is why I am so vehemently pro-choice -- our government must not be permitted the power to intrude so deeply into our citizens' most personal aspects of our lives. But my fear is that some people who deeply want children, who are as well prepared to become parents as people can be...will now decide to abort once they learn that the fetus is Downs. In their unavoidable absence of understanding they will view Downs as a tragic deformity that leads to insurmountable burdens and hopelessness without relief. They will greet the news that their fetus is Downs with fear and deep sorrow, just as I foolishly regarded the news when I received it the day my daughter was born. I have never been more stupidly wrong, even in a life positively rife with stupid errors. If people who receive this news make the choice to abort, as I believe most will, not only will they deprive their own lives of joy beyond anything they can conceive, but they will deprive the world of the happiness and love that these children invariably impart to all who get to know them."

pajaritomtn feels there's no blanket answer in reproduction. "Luckily society is learning that people with Downs syndrome can live decent lives. Luckily, at least at this point, people who don't feel up to raising a downs syndrome child will not be forced to."

"I believe those that have to raise that child should be given the opportunity at the earlier possible time to plan. That decision will affect their whole lives. Those families that have a genetic disposition towards Down's should be given the choice of whether to terminate the pregnancy or not and plan accordingly. I would never presume to judge others family planning choices based on my personal opinions." Car 101

Its a sticky, sticky wicket as those Brits say. Or to use layman's terms, "Who's to say?" Well how about the words of one who has been there?

"I am a sibling of a person with Down's and it is simply not something everyone can handle. I had genetic testing with my first daughter and will always continue to do so," says jkdin. "I am not willing to knowingly put my children through what I went through: years of taking care of my sister, being stared at all the time, years of loneliness while my parents' marriage disintegrated...If a person does not believe themselves to be capable of handling a child with DS, then that is and always should be THEIR decision. "

And basitb brings it home argues that its far too complex to reduce to simple calculations. "There are many people without Down's Syndrome who are selfish, stubborn, kleptomaniacs who act like fools all the time. Let's say science gets so far advanced that we can see through a fetal brain-scan that someone will turn out to be a lazy doofus when they get older. That'll be great, because then we can abort them, too. Right?"

By Lindsay Howerton |  November 10, 2005; 2:02 PM ET  | Category:  Health
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