Friday, January 21, 2011

Will babies with Down syndrome slowly disappear?

I first read this article on facebook after someone else had posted it and it was heartbreaking to say the least. Click on this link to read the article : http://childrenshospitalblog.org/will-babies-with-down-syndrome-slowly-disappear/

It shocks me to realize that 92% of all women who receive a definitive prenantal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to terminiate their pregnancy. 92%!!!!! First of all I am very Pro Life. I don't believe in abortion and it blows my mind that people can kill a totally innocent life, especially just because that life has 1 extra chromosome. I understand that the unknown, of anything, is scary. Which brings up another crazy statistic, which I have heard time and time again from mother's of children with Down syndrome. From this article is states, "the majority of medical students argue that they get minimal education on children with intellectual disabilities; and nearly half of obstetric fellows claim their residency training is "barely adequate" to "nonexistent" in terms of how to counsel would-be parents of a child with intellectual disabilities. Some physicians who do routinely deliver a prenatal diagnosis also admit to purposely describing Down syndrome in negative terms." Which, in my opinion, most likely creates the 92% termination rate. Doctors are supposed to be smart and informative, but more and more I hear about doctors pushing mothers who get a prenatal diagnosis to strongly consider ending the pregnancy. Woman aren't getting the stories about how these amazing kids bring a whole new light into your life. How they make you stop and smell the beautiful roses that are blooming all around you, but you've always been to busy to see them. They don't hear how children with Down syndrome really are more alike than different. How they will do all the things that a typical developing child will do, just at a little slower pace. And most importantly they aren't being reminded about how these children, all 47 chromosomes, are still THEIR CHILD. The fact that they possess a little something extra special doesn't make them any less human or any less a part of them. It truly sickens me to think that these beautiful and amazing babies aren't being given the chance to live and to thrive and to bring that special joy to the world around us. And now they are going to have a non-invasive test available to expectant mothers that will let them know whether their child has Down syndrome or not without having to risk the chance of a miscarriage like you do now with an amnio. So where does the termination rate go from 92%? I just don't get it. A baby is a human being, a life, YOUR life. Why isn't it okay to be different? Why isn't it okay to be special? Jayden made me a mother and Sophia added a little extra sparkle to the already awesome title that I had and I wouldn't change a thing about either one of my precious babies. They are PERFECT!

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