New Testing of Unborn Child for Down’s Could Pose Ethical Dilemmas

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New Testing of Unborn Child for Down’s Could Pose Ethical Dilemmas

A test that can detect Down’s syndrome from the blood of pregnant women, which would be the first reliable noninvasive prenatal test for the chromosomal disorder, has raised the prospect of routine screening for the condition for every expectant mother who wants it.
The experimental procedure, developed in Hong Kong, has been shown to diagnose 90 percent of Down’s syndrome cases in a small trial, while also correctly identifying 97 percent of fetuses that do not have the condition.
If its accuracy can be improved and it is validated in larger patient trials, which scientists believe should take three to five years, it would transform prenatal testing for Down’s.
My Take?

Simply put, this new test will lead to the murder of many more unborn children.
At present, a positive test for Down’s Syndrome, leads to the abortion of these children 90 to 95% of the time.
I would predict, that since the current invasive test is only provided for women at high risk of having a Down’s baby (because the current procedure is invasive and can cause a miscarriage), that a simple blood test will lead to more tests and more abortions.
Having cared for children with Down’s Syndrome over the last 30 years, I have uniformly found these children to be incredible humans – and deeply spiritual. And their families are virtually always blessed by them.
The news reports concludes, “The advance, however, will also create ethical dilemmas for many couples following positive tests. There are fears that the simpler procedure and more extensive screening could lead to more abortions.”
I don’t mind a test that helps families to have more time to prepare themselves for bringing up a child with learning disabilities. But, I do mind one that is used to murder precious unborn children.
 

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