Comments on: Scientists promise ‘safer’ prenatal test for Down syndrome

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:16:08 +0000

The test is not the problem so much as the narrow minded patients and their equally narrow minded healthcare providers who both lack sufficient current info on DS. I hope to see the newly enacted K-B Bill change in that.

By: Kathy Ratkiewicz

Kathy Ratkiewicz — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:09:19 +0000

Oh, I know that prenatal testing, in and of itself, is not always bad. In the best case scenerio, if a problem is detected, parents can have time to educate themselves, prepare for the child’s birth, or plan for medical interventions for the baby if needed. The fact of the matter, though, is that prenatal screening for Ds results in a 90% abortion rate. The enthusiasm about the newest test is because too many ‘normal’ babies were being lost due to miscarriage after amniocentesis. The new test is more accurate, so it is ‘safer’ for everyone…except, of course, for most of the babies w/Ds who are diagnosed prenatally.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:33:36 +0000

@Heather,

Unfortunately, that most often is not the case.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:54:41 +0000

Prenatal testing is not always a search and destroy mission for parents. Sometimes they just want to know what’s coming down the pike.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:16:23 +0000

This is both sad and scary.

It’s ironic that Stanford has received a great deal of money for Down syndrome research.

I hope this isn’t how they spent it.

By: Kathy Ratkiewicz

Kathy Ratkiewicz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:15:53 +0000

Safe? Who are they kidding? Oh, I get it…nobody ‘normal’ will be harmed by the test.

Sorry, but I can’t get excited about the ‘safety’ of this test since it is primarily a search and destroy mission for unborn babies with Down syndrome.

Wonder why the abortion of babies with Down syndrome is not seen as a ‘disability hate crime’? Why isn’t developing tests to specifically target unborn babies with Down syndrome for destruction targeted as a disability hate crime’? They are being targeted for abortion on the basis of disability, after all.