The little Down babies arrive in heaven flawless ... (but without the love of their mothers). Won't their moms be surprised when they see them in heaven?
Posted on 09/19/2009 2:46:41 PM PDT by wagglebee
The development of prenatal diagnostic technologies presents a constellation of moral issues -- with the diagnosis of Down syndrome front and center. Over the past several years, a marked decrease in the number of babies born with Down syndrome has been both observed and widely reported. This decrease can be traced directly to the decision to abort after prenatal diagnosis.
As Science Daily reports, a new leading article to be published in Archives of Disease in Childhood points to developments in the near future that will likely increase the diagnosis of Down syndrome [DS] during pregnancy. "New tests expected to be introduced next year will offer a simple blood test that poses no risk to the fetus and delivers a definitive diagnosis of one of more of the genetic variants of Down syndrome -- trisomy 21, translocation, or mosaicism," the journal reported.
The development of these new tests will almost surely make the practice of prenatal screening for Down syndrome more widespread. At present, the available tests pose some risk to the fetus and are invasive. The new tests expected next year are based on simple blood tests.
The new research is based on work by Dr. Brian Skotko, a clinical genetics fellow at Children's Hospital Boston. Skotko, who has a sister with Down syndrome, asks this haunting question: "As new tests become available, will babies with Down syndrome slowly disappear?"
His research reveals deeply troubling trends. Between 1989 and 2005, births of babies with Down syndrome decreased by 15 percent. As Science Daily explains, "In the absence of prenatal testing, researchers would have expected the opposite -- a 34 percent increase in births -- due to the trend of women waiting longer to have children; known to increase the chances of having a baby with Down syndrome."
In an article published in 2005, Skotko argued that doctors are often ill-prepared to discuss the diagnosis of Down syndrome with their pregnant patients. Chillingly, he also revealed that a significant percentage of the doctors "reported that they 'emphasize' the negative aspects of DS so that patients would favor a termination."
With the new technologies of prenatal diagnosis so close on the horizon, Skotko now sees a "true collision" on its way. "More women will be going through the testing process, which could lead to a lot of difficult, uncomfortable conversations between physicians and expectant patients."
The reason for the decrease in the number of babies born with Down syndrome comes into clearer focus when The Washington Post cites Skotko's research indicating that 92 percent of women who learn they are carrying a baby with Down syndrome choose to abort the pregnancy. That is more than nine out of ten.
The dimensions of the "collision" Dr. Skotko sees coming now come into view. If these percentages hold, the development of these new tests will almost certainly lead to a vast increase in the number of babies aborted after the diagnosis of Down syndrome.
This presents a grave moral challenge to the medical community -- and to the society at large. Medical care is a social good for which the entire society is responsible. The development of prenatal diagnostic technologies and procedures brings a moral crisis right to our doorsteps -- and our hearts. Will we see people with Down syndrome simply disappear?
In his 2005 article, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Skotko explained that prenatal testing for Down syndrome presents expectant parents with a simple choice -- continue the pregnancy or abort. He continued:
Knowing this, 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."
Expectant parents should read that sentence over and over again, and so should those who counsel them.
As Dr. Skotko understands all too well, this moral crisis is not limited to babies with Down syndrome. He asks: "Should expectant parents be able to select out fetuses with an undesired sex? Should fetuses with genes that predispose them to adult breast cancer be prenatally identified? Should couples in the future be supported if they wish to terminate fetuses with genes correlated with sexual preferences?"
The fact that 92 percent of women who are told that their unborn child carries the high risk of Down syndrome choose to abort the baby should shock us all. What does that say about our devaluation of human life and human dignity? This can only mean that these women see a child with Down syndrome as not worth having -- and the baby as a life not worth living.
Dr. Skotko points to the new tests just around the corner and sees a collision coming. Given his important research, we had better see a moral crisis looming. The Culture of Death is gaining momentum before our eyes. Who will be next in line to be considered unworthy of life?
___________________________________________________
R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. For more articles and resources by Dr. Mohler, and for information on The Albert Mohler Program, a daily national radio program broadcast on the Salem Radio Network, go to www.albertmohler.com. For information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to www.sbts.edu. Send feedback to mail@albertmohler.com. Original Source: www.albertmohler.com.
At least more people are starting to wake up to the fact that the culture of death really exists.
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I’m just waiting for the reaction when/if, a test can be done to see if an unborn baby will be gay.
Nobody knows what causes homosexuality. If there is a genetic component to that, would some people abort their baby if it would be gay? Or had brown eyes, or any number of characteristics?
I’m against this trend of abortion of fetuses, just saying, as technology and prenatal testing detects various characteristics, where will lines be drawn?
Already in China and India, there is strong anecdotal evidence that unborn baby girls are aborted at high rates.
Ethically, legally, morally, where will lines be drawn on this subject?
No, Downs Syndrome will always occur. This is something I’ve never understood why eugenicists just don’t get. Normal people can have abnormal children, aborting all the abnormal children isn’t going to prevent the incidence of their conception.
You want to have a healthy child, get married early and at a young age. Don’t wait to have kids. Of course, you’ll never hear people talk about that!
This seems like an appropriate thread for this link:
http://www.chask.org/index.htm
If anyone here has any extra money, throw it their way, please!
The undesirable must go...
It was no hyperbole, Palin is well aware that "Death Panels" are going to be a real thing in government health care
Just wait, if the Feds take over health care, them will not let “Worthless Eaters” be born.
Can’t have slaves be born that can’t work. (wish I could put an /s tag, but can’t)
Them=they, sorry.
My friend had her DS son at 25, another DS Iknow was born to a teen mother.
btt
Yes, and on average, they are more likely to occur the older the mother.
There’s always exceptions to every rule of thumb.
I bumped into a girl that I really adore today. Her name is Kara and we were really close friends when we were little. She is 36 now, and she has downs. She is one of the sweetest, most innocent person I know. Stories like this make me sick.
If the left has their way, the “master race” is on its way.. why the minority left is too blind to see this is beyond me...
I have 2 friends who were told they were having down syndrome babies and actually had perfectly healthy children.
That tells me the science isn’t perfect in the detection process and a lot of babies are dying that need not die.
You are quite correct about the accuracy of the tests to date. From the description in the article, it sounds like the new tests will be a lot more accurate.
During my wife’s two pregnancies we flummoxed the doctors by refusing to have amnio done. What’s the point, unless you are considering abortion in case the test comes back “negative?”
Had two beautiful healthy daughters, the younger of which is now 17. She works with “mentally challenged” children and is appalled by the holocaust of Down’s kids.
They will make it mandatory in every pregnancy to perform these tests, and advise upon knowledge of the results (upon any abnormality) a full court press for the parents to abort that pregnancy at the earliest, or latest opportunity...Either way, some government requirement will compell the parents, and order the medical facility, to terminate the baby anyway...
Thats where I believe it will go...
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