Strollerderby
Strike Three for Diversity" New Prenatal Testing Guidelines Require Down Syndrome Screening
suggesting that every mom-to-be, regardless of her age, undergo a
screening test for Down syndrome. As the mother of a 3-year old
who happens to also have Down syndrome, this new guideline is of
particular interest to me.
The previous guideline recommended
prenatal testing at or above age 35, but the age delineation has been
dropped because the medical community finally got wise to what moms and
dads have known all along, that there is no magic jump in the incidence
of babies born with Down syndrome at the maternal age of 35.
Indeed, though there is a gradual statistical increase in risk — from
one in 1,200 at age 25 to about one in 300 at age 35 — women under 35
actually give birth to most of the babies born with Down syndrome.
The
newest testing method is a
first-trimester screening that combines blood tests with an
ultrasound exam, called a “nuchal translucency test”, that measures the
thickness of the back of the fetal neck. The test is performed between
11 and 13 weeks gestation, and is considered “more than 80% accurate”. Although
this is all well and good, and may well avoid some unnecessary
amniocenteses and therefore the fetal risk associated with that more
invasive test, I have to wonder — what exactly are people going to do
with this new information?
I had no prenatal testing with my
son. If I had done so and the test correctly suggested that my
son would have had Down syndrome, I would have immediately been
bombarded with pressure from all over to “do something” about the baby,
to “make a decision”. Hello? What, exactly, is there to
do? A baby is a baby. Where do you draw the line?
Babies with Down syndrome are “okay”, but babies with, say, more
serious issues, or expensive-to-treat medical issues, are not?
Or, a baby with Down syndrome would be okay, but only if he is
“high-functioning”. Right?
For perhaps the first time ever
I can say I side with a Catholic group who states, “…it could lead to
women seeing that because their child has a genetic defect that they
would seek an abortion”. Since when did eugenics creep so stealthily into our accepted
medical midst? What happened to “inclusion” and
“diversity”? Is this, really, where we as a society wish to
head? Take another look at that baby up there and then tell me.
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4 Comments
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amJust a few months after a new guideline was issued suggesting that ALL pregnant women undergo a "routine" and "safe" screening test for Down syndrome, it turns out that not only is the test not that scientifically useful , but it also
leticia commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amWell, Citymama, as I Catholic, I appreciate your company on this one!
I was 39 when the OB wanted tests, and I told him, “there is nothing you can tell me that will make me want to kill this baby.”
They never asked me again.
So, when Christina was born with Down Syndrome, they were shocked, but I wasn’t. I had had a spiritual insight that she had Downs, and told them, “sometimes, when you are pro-life, you have to put your money where your mouth is. This child will never go Goth, take drugs, or shoot up a school. I have a lot to be grateful for.”
When the OB looked sheepish, I chided him, “Doctor, you delivered a healthy baby. That’s your job, and you did it well. God’s decision to make her special had nothing to do with you, and I refuse to blame you for it”. He smiled, vastly relieved.
Doctors have to realize their place: deliver healthy babies, and leave the rest to God.
alwayschaos commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amAs a mother of five, I knew what I wanted in terms of prenatal care when I was pregnant with my last child. I avoided the whole pressure of having the rather standardized testing by way of having a midwife. My pregnancy at 37 years old was beautiful and so uneventful. I wasn’t burdened by what-ifs, or intimidated by geneticists. None of those things would have made a difference in terms of carrying my child to term.
I am glad that I opted for alternative prenatal care, as I can only imagine what a difference I would have felt emotionally if I would have had a doctor breathing down my neck about how life was over, simply because my child has Trisomy 21. My child is who she is, as she was intended to be. While that may be different in terms of what most parents expect, it doesn’t make her any less of a person than anyone else. The only major difference in terms of her genetic makeup versus any other child is that little bit of something extra on her 21st pair.
I deplore the medical community for holding such a big dark cloud of the diagnosis of Trisomy 21. I feel disappointed that the majority of what I can find readily available in terms of information about DS is often outdated and negative. I feel sad that this testing will become more common now, because sadly the statistics reflect that the bulk of those that know before birth are often pressured into believing the best option is termination.
I disagree.
I am not taking a stand on either side of the fence in terms of abortion as a whole. I believe that termination based solely on a diagnosis such as T21 aka DS is unfortunate for many reasons, the largest one being the loss of life that is often the direct result of misinformation and pressure from the medical world.
CityMama commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amYes! I agree whole-heartedly. I was coerced into have a genetic screen with my 2nd because of my “advanced age” (34). it would have made no difference if the test had come back positive for DS. I would never have an amnio so I wondered, what was the point of the whole thing? A baby was growing inside of me, it was mine and I already loved it. What is there to “do” in that situation? It wouldn’t have changed a thing for us. I, too, side with the Catholics on this one.
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