Prenatal Genetic Testing

Jessoliver87 - posted on 09/28/2009

I don't know about anywhere else in the world, but where I'm from (Perth, Australia), it is routine to have the blood test at 12 weeks to determine whether there is a risk of Downs Syndrome. My test results came back with a 1 in 74 chance. I decided to have an amnio because I wanted to know. Being a single mum, I wanted to be able to prepare myself for the possibility of having a child with DS. I was fully prepared to continue my pregnancy if the results came back positive. Everytime I thought about not having my baby if he did have DS, I ended up in tears. In the end, my test results came back negative and I had worried all for nothing.
If I ever have any more children and I am advised to have an amnio, I would not hesitate to do so. I like to be able to best prepare myself for whatever outcome.

Brenda - posted on 09/14/2009

This thread is so sad! My friend was actually faced with this 12 years ago when she was pregnant with her son, Sean. She was 8 months pregnant when they found out his heart only had 2 chambers, not 4. They explained that her son would be born and immediately go into cardiac arrest and die. Of course she was devastated but her main concern was for her child and his suffering. The idea of him going through the birthing process only to die afterward in such a painful way was heartbreaking.
Finally she and her husband opted for an injection where they basically (there is no easy way to say this) kill the baby while he was in the womb. After doing this, they induced labor so she gave birth to a still born baby.
I am not sure how I would have been able to handle something like this. I can't say I could have done what she did, even though I understand her reasons.

Bethany - posted on 09/14/2009

I didn't get genetic testing and may not with any future children. We wouldn't abort our child no matter what, and I honestly don't understand parents who do based on fallible testing. It may be that my child would not live long, but I am not going to be the one who cuts his life short. The only reason I'd get the testing would be if there was something in the ultrasound that made the doctor think something may be out of place. But I would only want to know in order to prepare myself emotionally for it.

Someone previously mentioned that they would want to save their child the pain of suffering with a genetic disorder. By the time you find out about the disorder, an abortion will be extremely painful for your son or daughter. It's not like babies don't feel pain until they take their first breath. All the components for feeling and comprehending pain are there by week 12. I'd rather my child come into the world and know some love and comfort before dying. Actually, and not to purposefully stir up any flames, but I think it's extremely selfish to abort your child just because you can't deal with whatever disorder they have.

I really respect these parents for choosing their son, even though it was very painful for them to lose him:

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photogra...

Just my thoughts.

Konda - posted on 09/02/2009

Yeah, I got that, LOL. It made me physically ill. Had he not got me to where I am today...and able to be married and have these two children, I for sure would have left and never returned. However, I did tell him how much that upset me, and that he should refrain from telling that to any patient, much less one that was high risk and seven months pregnant.....he did apologize....too little to late, I knew his true feeling at that point. He has always 'tested' my son when he came in with me....alertness and such. I think he was afraid that the one medication I was on Zoloft and the fact that I have been on them seen my teens(I am 39) would have harmed my children and he would feel responsible. Still there was NO excuse for what he said.

Dana - posted on 09/02/2009

Quoting dana:

Classy...

Just to be clear, I mean the doctor.

Konda - posted on 09/02/2009

I will admit that I did worry that I would have a Down's baby and the affect it would have on my son...I cried many times wondering if I had made the right decision to get pregnant again. I could never abort, so having the test was unnecessary and dangerous for the baby. Yet, the worry and apprehension was there, I feel blessed that my baby was fine and now even feel ashamed for worrying about it.

Kylie - posted on 09/02/2009

My hubby said something similar when i asked him what we would we do if our baby was DS. He said abort..its a life sentence for us and our child, there no quality of life for a person with DS and his, mine and our daughters life was more important than the unborn baby. We had a huge fight/debate and in the end i refused any testing, i knew if there was a significant chance he would talk me into aborting the baby...

Dana - posted on 09/02/2009

Classy...

Konda - posted on 09/02/2009

I was high risk with both my babies, since I was over 35 and over-weight and had hypertension and gestational diabetes and suffered from severe depression/OCD for years and was off my medications. Yet, hubby and I both knew we would not terminate anyway, so we didn't have the test with either baby.

However, you'd be surprised at how strongly some people feel about this. My OB was 100% behind us, however, when I told my psychiatrist we were not having all the tests run, he told me that was a dumb move(he is very frank with me, I have been his patient for over ten years). I knew that he and his wife had their only child late in life and asked him if they had run the test, and knowing he was also Catholic, I asked him if he would have terminated. He SHOCKED me....his response to a seven month pregnant me was, "hell yes, we would have aborted, I would never have brought such a child into this world, have you ever seen the drolling little things in church?".

Isobel - posted on 09/02/2009

Quoting dana:

Quoting Kate:

Well, there was a case my husband told me about where a baby was born without a brain (known as Anencephaly). Her name was Stephanie Keene, also know as Baby K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

She had a functioning brain stem so all her organs worked, she could breathe on her own, her heart beat, etc. But she had no brain. None. Not a thought in her head, no emotion, no feelings. This woman knew from early on her in pregnancy that her baby would be born this way and was given the option several times to abort the fetus. She never did and now has a child who will grow physically like a normal child but without a brain. She lived for 3 years this way. If I had known that my daughter would be born without a brain I would have aborted the fetus and had a funeral. I would not have put her through that torture. Maybe I'm a bad mother for that, but I cannot fathom carrying a baby to term that I know will suffer after birth. That to me is cru

Wow, that's a tough one.  I could see both sides of this.  Although technically if there is no thought ,feeling or emotion there would be no acknowledgement of suffering. 

 

I think the suffering was on the part of the parents and family.

Esther - posted on 09/01/2009

I didn't have any testing done. Years before I got serious about wanting children, my husband and I both were sure that if I ever got pregnant and we found out (early) that the baby would have Down syndrome that we would abort. The second I actually got pregnant though that all changed. There is no way I would have had an abortion for that reason. So we didn't see the point of running the tests. I had already had a miscarriage and I wasn't going to do anything that would increase my risk of having another one (no matter how small) especially for a test that wouldn't have made any difference in my decision to keep the baby or not. It could only cause more anxiety. However, if there was reason to believe that my baby could end up having some kind of condition that would be incurable and would create suffering, then I would have had the tests, and I probably would have at least considered an abortion. I don't think I could ever know for sure what I would do in a situation like that, but I think I would do whatever would cause the least suffering for my baby. Thank god, I never had to make such an excruciating decision.

Jocelyn - posted on 09/01/2009

i didn't have any genetic testing with my kids, my dr encouraged me to have the downs test, but for me downs wouldn't have been a deciding factor in if i wished to abort. now, that being said, if i knew that i carried a hereditary disease (or hubby did) that would result in the baby dying, or having something seriously wrong (physical or mental), then i would most certainly do the testing. LOTS of testing. then, if we decided that if this baby were to be born and suffer, then i would abort in that case.

Kylie - posted on 08/31/2009

I chose not to have any genetic testing with both my kids. But i had the ultrasound where they measure the gap in the top of the spine..i think thats how they check for neural tube defects. i didn't want to know because i didn't want to stress about the odds or have to make the decision to abort. I knew my husband had strong views about having a down syndrome child and i just didn't want to have to go there. in the ultrasounds i was told my babies were fine , had all their organs, and everything looked like it was working perfectly so thats all i needed to know.

Charlie - posted on 08/31/2009

My first pregnancy i took the test knowing there was a risk of miscarriage .
15 weeks into my pregnancy i lost my baby .
the second pregnancy i never took the test , i just felt if that is how Cooper is going to be then i would have him regardless and there was no way i would run the risk again .

Sarah - posted on 08/31/2009

I haven't read all the posts (coz i'm lazy! lol!)
Here's my tale tho.......
When i was pregnant with my eldest....i didn't have any of the tests.
When i got pregnant again, someone convinced me i should have the Downs test....so i could be prepared. I took the blood test, and the results came back high risk for Downs.
(just!)
I went in to speak to them and they offered me an amnio, but said there is risk of miscarriage by doing so.
My blood test came back that there was a 1 in 250 chance that baby would have Downs.
I can't remember now what the risk of miscarriage was with the amnio, but it was pretty high.
My husband said to me, 'Imagine you have a bag with 249 white balls in it, and 1 red.....think about how likely it would be you would pick that 1 red ball' That helped me put my mind at ease a little.
Anyway, we discussed it, and decided that the risk of miscarriage was too high to have the amnio.....and more importantly.....that we would cope with, and love our child no matter if they had Downs or not.
Baby was FINE.
I really really wish i had NEVER taken the blood test to be honest.....i worried A LOT for no real reason.
I can understand why people have them, but for me, i made a mistake by taking the test.
Anyway, that's my story.....but it's an individual decision i guess. :)

Evelyn - posted on 08/31/2009

I really should have read the Baby K link before I responded lol...I still meant what I said about being a Christian and using medical resources...but I do see a bit better why you were angry Amie, in this case I don't know that I would have gone to those lengths...but I have to say I would never want to be put in her shoes. Please remember that these are only quotes from the parents and there could be a plethora of other reasons..even the irrational hope that some miracle cure would occur..that could have been keeping these parents from making the most "humane" decision. Everything isn't always what it seems.

Dana - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Kate:

Quoting dana:

Quoting Kate:

Well, there was a case my husband told me about where a baby was born without a brain (known as Anencephaly). Her name was Stephanie Keene, also know as Baby K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

She had a functioning brain stem so all her organs worked, she could breathe on her own, her heart beat, etc. But she had no brain. None. Not a thought in her head, no emotion, no feelings. This woman knew from early on her in pregnancy that her baby would be born this way and was given the option several times to abort the fetus. She never did and now has a child who will grow physically like a normal child but without a brain. She lived for 3 years this way. If I had known that my daughter would be born without a brain I would have aborted the fetus and had a funeral. I would not have put her through that torture. Maybe I'm a bad mother for that, but I cannot fathom carrying a baby to term that I know will suffer after birth. That to me is cruel.

Wow, that's a tough one.  I could see both sides of this.  Although technically if there is no thought ,feeling or emotion there would be no acknowledgement of suffering. 

She had a functioning brain stem. She could feel EVERYTHING. She didn't know what was going on or why she was in pain, but her nerves worked. She suffered. She just couldn't say anything.

My mistake, I thought you had said she had no feeling.   It's just hard for me to make a judgement on the mother, I feel it's a personal choice.  Although the mother saying the out come was God's will seems a little ridiculous.  As far as the breathing tube it reminds me of the story of the old man and the flood. 

A great flood had come and the old man prayed for his safety.  He believed God would save him from any harm. 

When a neighbor stopped to see if he needed any help the old man said "No, God will save me"

When the flood waters rose, a man in a boat stopped to see if he wanted a ride.  "No", replied the old man, "God will save me"

When the flood waters reached the higher the old man climbed to the roof.  A helicopter flew overhead, asking if he needed help.  "No", he said, "God will save me."

Eventually the old man succumbed to the flood waters.  When he made it to heaven he asked God. " Why did you not answer my prayers?"  God replied, "What are you talking about, I sent your neighbor, a boat and even a helicopter!"

It seems the mother needed the hospital to step in and save her from herself.

Amie - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Evelyn:

 

I am a Christian and I have to say that using medical intervention is not showing a lack of faith in God, It is just using the tools He has provided us with. That's like saying that if I get cancer, I'm not going to use chemo, I'm just going to use prayer. Ummmmmm..no. lol..I'll definitely use both though!  I believe He gave us this knowledge so that we can take care of ourselves and heal our ailments. Now, I know my explanation may not resonate with you because of your "loathe of organized religion" but I'm just trying to assist you in understanding her reasoning.

That is not what I meant. And it's hard to clearly post my stand point but for a case like Baby K.

She had no chance at a healthy, happy life. She had no brain! There's no quality of life being preserved. It's just a shell of a child. There is no fix, there is no surgery, there is nothing that can be done to save that child. The only thing she had to look forward to was a life of suffering and her parents prolonged that because of their faith.

For cases with diseases that happen later in life, ok that I can understand. My gramma prolonged her life (a devout Christian) so she could have a chance to say good bye to us all in person. That I can understand and agree with.

Sharon - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Amie:

I just got done reading that Baby K link.

I don't even know what to think about it for myself if it happened to my family. That would be hard. I'd like to think I could take the route Sharon posted of taking, I do not know if I would be that strong though.

For the Baby K case I'm a little disturbed by the mother. I understand loving your child but to use "a firm Christian faith that all life should be protected". That God should be the one who decides when the baby dies. Well isn't that just hypocrisy at it's best. If you wanted God to decide then you shouldn't have had medical intervention to prolong her life. But that could just be me and my loathe of organized religion.

No Amie you're right.  Loathe of religion or not that mom basically went against her own faith.

Evelyn - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Amie:

I just got done reading that Baby K link.

I don't even know what to think about it for myself if it happened to my family. That would be hard. I'd like to think I could take the route Sharon posted of taking, I do not know if I would be that strong though.

For the Baby K case I'm a little disturbed by the mother. I understand loving your child but to use "a firm Christian faith that all life should be protected". That God should be the one who decides when the baby dies. Well isn't that just hypocrisy at it's best. If you wanted God to decide then you shouldn't have had medical intervention to prolong her life. But that could just be me and my loathe of organized religion.

I am a Christian and I have to say that using medical intervention is not showing a lack of faith in God, It is just using the tools He has provided us with. That's like saying that if I get cancer, I'm not going to use chemo, I'm just going to use prayer. Ummmmmm..no. lol..I'll definitely use both though!  I believe He gave us this knowledge so that we can take care of ourselves and heal our ailments. Now, I know my explanation may not resonate with you because of your "loathe of organized religion" but I'm just trying to assist you in understanding her reasoning.

Sharon - posted on 08/31/2009

Lindsay - thank you!



And I don't think I actually answered the question, lol...



Genetic pre-natal testing is awesome and a wonderful way to, at the least, help prepare a parent for what might be coming.



Yes the results would affect my decision for MORE TESTING and possibly the decision to carry to term or not.

Evelyn - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Sharon:

When my oldest was in NICU the baby in the isolet across from his had anencephaly. No one ever came to see it/her (pink blanket on top it) about our third day there, I came in to the NICU and a nurse was holding her and just rocking. I never saw the extra machines like most of the babies had. There wasn't even a rocking chair there until that day. After a bit a doctor came in talked with the nurse, the doctor wasn't happy, the nurse put the baby in the isolet and a few minutes later a girl (had to be like 15 - 17 yrs old) came in with her mom. Both of them were dry eyed, and listened to the doctor explain anencephaly - I was straining REALLY hard to pick up the details. He asked a couple of questions I didn't get and the girl and her mom left. The girl stared at the isolet the whole time. Her mom stared at the doctor and they never looked at any of the other isolets. Most of us moms at least looked into the other isolets - checking up on the babies, etc. Being able to say "OH he's less yellow today!" was a nice cheerful thing. Weird huh?

After the doctor left, a nurse came and wheeled the isolet away. It was freakish. It was - to me - similar to taking out the trash. I was heartbroken. It seemed like that babys life just didn't matter.

I talked with a nurse later - they can't tell you about a patients issues but she sort of made an exception. I decided that if I ever found out I was carrying an anencephalic baby I would carry it to term and have no measures taken to save the life or prolong it but I would allow the organs to be donated. The baby was going to die no matter what and with no brain there is no real pain and my child that was going to die any way could help someone elses' baby that might not have had a chance and then their life would count for something. As minimal as their life was. Does that make sense?

It all sounds very clinical here but just thinking about it hurts like hell.

It makes perfect sense Sharon. This is a heartbreaking story, but there is so much to be learned from it. Thanks for sharing.

Amie - posted on 08/31/2009

I just got done reading that Baby K link.

I don't even know what to think about it for myself if it happened to my family. That would be hard. I'd like to think I could take the route Sharon posted of taking, I do not know if I would be that strong though.

For the Baby K case I'm a little disturbed by the mother. I understand loving your child but to use "a firm Christian faith that all life should be protected". That God should be the one who decides when the baby dies. Well isn't that just hypocrisy at it's best. If you wanted God to decide then you shouldn't have had medical intervention to prolong her life. But that could just be me and my loathe of organized religion.

Amie - posted on 08/31/2009

I think there may be some benefits to it. I haven't really done my research on it because there are not any risk factors to think about. No one has ever been born with any kind of disease.

We were offered them with our last two pregnancies. Ryan and I thought about it but opted to not do it. Even on the small chance that something was wrong, in any way, we still would have carried to term. So we didn't bother looking to in depth into it, we just said no.

The only problem that I have ever had with any of my kids was with my son. He was born with an extra thumb growing that was attached by a long skin tag. It was an easy fix though, he went into the circumcision room the next day (not to get circ'd!) and they gave him a local anesthetic and cut it off. He came back and all was fine. To this day he still has a tiny skin tag there but he's perfect in every other way. =)

Lindsay - posted on 08/31/2009

Wow, Sharon! How hard that would be but what an amazing gift! To me that's an example of how each and every life has a purpose. It would be so hard to be the parent but for a child to come into the world only to save another person is really a good point. I know I'm not getting this out right but I couldn't let your post go without responding to it. At the beginning, I was almost in tears of sorrow and then at the end, just amazed. That's a great perspective!

Kate CP - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting dana:

Quoting Kate:

Well, there was a case my husband told me about where a baby was born without a brain (known as Anencephaly). Her name was Stephanie Keene, also know as Baby K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

She had a functioning brain stem so all her organs worked, she could breathe on her own, her heart beat, etc. But she had no brain. None. Not a thought in her head, no emotion, no feelings. This woman knew from early on her in pregnancy that her baby would be born this way and was given the option several times to abort the fetus. She never did and now has a child who will grow physically like a normal child but without a brain. She lived for 3 years this way. If I had known that my daughter would be born without a brain I would have aborted the fetus and had a funeral. I would not have put her through that torture. Maybe I'm a bad mother for that, but I cannot fathom carrying a baby to term that I know will suffer after birth. That to me is cruel.

Wow, that's a tough one.  I could see both sides of this.  Although technically if there is no thought ,feeling or emotion there would be no acknowledgement of suffering. 

She had a functioning brain stem. She could feel EVERYTHING. She didn't know what was going on or why she was in pain, but her nerves worked. She suffered. She just couldn't say anything.

Sharon - posted on 08/31/2009

When my oldest was in NICU the baby in the isolet across from his had anencephaly. No one ever came to see it/her (pink blanket on top it) about our third day there, I came in to the NICU and a nurse was holding her and just rocking. I never saw the extra machines like most of the babies had. There wasn't even a rocking chair there until that day. After a bit a doctor came in talked with the nurse, the doctor wasn't happy, the nurse put the baby in the isolet and a few minutes later a girl (had to be like 15 - 17 yrs old) came in with her mom. Both of them were dry eyed, and listened to the doctor explain anencephaly - I was straining REALLY hard to pick up the details. He asked a couple of questions I didn't get and the girl and her mom left. The girl stared at the isolet the whole time. Her mom stared at the doctor and they never looked at any of the other isolets. Most of us moms at least looked into the other isolets - checking up on the babies, etc. Being able to say "OH he's less yellow today!" was a nice cheerful thing. Weird huh?



After the doctor left, a nurse came and wheeled the isolet away. It was freakish. It was - to me - similar to taking out the trash. I was heartbroken. It seemed like that babys life just didn't matter.



I talked with a nurse later - they can't tell you about a patients issues but she sort of made an exception. I decided that if I ever found out I was carrying an anencephalic baby I would carry it to term and have no measures taken to save the life or prolong it but I would allow the organs to be donated. The baby was going to die no matter what and with no brain there is no real pain and my child that was going to die any way could help someone elses' baby that might not have had a chance and then their life would count for something. As minimal as their life was. Does that make sense?



It all sounds very clinical here but just thinking about it hurts like hell.

Evelyn - posted on 08/31/2009

I doubt I would even get the tests done. Just like the OP wrote...what if I was told my child has some disease/defect and I terminate the pregnancy when all along nothing was wrong? Yes, I know some will say well you never would have known...but it would haunt me all my life. While I am a liberal, I am also very pro-life. Now, to really confuse you all, I am also pro-choice haha. I do feel that women should have the option to abort, but not just by walking into a clinic an having it done. I feel there should be mandatory counseling that goes along w/this as well as better education regarding birth control. Sorry, not trying to turn this into a pro-choice vs. pro-life debate but it does tie in to why I feel the way I do. Partly because I could never get an abortion w/out my life or my child's life being in danger. I feel that even children with DS have the right to be born. Each person, no matter what their "condition" brings with them a purpose. If my child had a defect that would prove terminal relatively quickly and they would have absolutely NO quality of life...then I would have to say my hand might be forced to make that difficult decision. I've never and will never judge a woman for having an abortion, because I am not perfect and have made plenty of bad decisions myself. But I also won't condone abortion as a form of "birth control" and what really ticks me off is when someone has one because "it's not the right time". Trust me...90% of the worlds population were born when it wasn't the right time! lol (Yeah, off topic I know lol, I tend to do this sometimes...)

Dana - posted on 08/31/2009

Quoting Kate:

Well, there was a case my husband told me about where a baby was born without a brain (known as Anencephaly). Her name was Stephanie Keene, also know as Baby K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

She had a functioning brain stem so all her organs worked, she could breathe on her own, her heart beat, etc. But she had no brain. None. Not a thought in her head, no emotion, no feelings. This woman knew from early on her in pregnancy that her baby would be born this way and was given the option several times to abort the fetus. She never did and now has a child who will grow physically like a normal child but without a brain. She lived for 3 years this way. If I had known that my daughter would be born without a brain I would have aborted the fetus and had a funeral. I would not have put her through that torture. Maybe I'm a bad mother for that, but I cannot fathom carrying a baby to term that I know will suffer after birth. That to me is cruel.

Wow, that's a tough one.  I could see both sides of this.  Although technically if there is no thought ,feeling or emotion there would be no acknowledgement of suffering. 

Lindsay - posted on 08/31/2009

I had the tests run with both pregnancies and luckily, they both came back negative so I didn't have to deal with such decisions. Anna, I also beleive that a child is a child. When we had these tests run, Josh and I made the decision that regardless of what came back, we would love and keep our children. If it came back positive, it would just get us time to learn and inform ourselves on how to deal with their illness. I could never abort for a downs diagnoses even if these tests were 100% correct (obviously they aren't). As for something as severe as a baby that did not have a brain and had absolutely no chance at life, I beleive that falls into a different category. IMO all babies are perfect regardless of special needs! =)

Kate CP - posted on 08/31/2009

Well, there was a case my husband told me about where a baby was born without a brain (known as Anencephaly). Her name was Stephanie Keene, also know as Baby K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

She had a functioning brain stem so all her organs worked, she could breathe on her own, her heart beat, etc. But she had no brain. None. Not a thought in her head, no emotion, no feelings. This woman knew from early on her in pregnancy that her baby would be born this way and was given the option several times to abort the fetus. She never did and now has a child who will grow physically like a normal child but without a brain. She lived for 3 years this way. If I had known that my daughter would be born without a brain I would have aborted the fetus and had a funeral. I would not have put her through that torture. Maybe I'm a bad mother for that, but I cannot fathom carrying a baby to term that I know will suffer after birth. That to me is cruel.

Sara - posted on 08/31/2009

I think there are certain circumstances where it would be the humane thing to do to abort a fetus, such as if the baby did not have a brain, and things of that nature. I think it's important for a doctor to impress upon people that genetic testing is not all that accurate...my doctor did and I didn't have any done because I figured if it came back positive, it wouldn't change my mind. But, people need to be made aware that those tests have a lot of false positives and can't always be trusted...personally, I think they should only be done if you are high risk due to age or ethnicity. It's hard to think about, but no one can really say for sure until they are there I guess.

Dana - posted on 08/31/2009

My sister was working at a Day care center while she was pregnant. A little girl had CMV so, my sister went to the doctors,was tested and tested positive. The doctor she met with told her all the statistics and suggested an abortion. The doctor also told her other mothers have it done when dealing with this terrible virus. The doctor wanted to schedule it right away. Luckily, my sister talked to her OBGYN who suggested waiting ( he didn't have to convince her of that) for future ultra sounds. Of course the baby was fine, he's 5 yrs old and just started his 3rd day of kindergarten.



I can't help but wonder and think of all the other mother's who got this terrible advice from this doctor. So, I personally would have to think long and hard before making any major decisions and start using my newly founded motherly instincts.

Sharon - posted on 08/31/2009

We did and I would have terminated if certain circumstances had come up.



A child isn't a child always. Not when they are born to suffer. Why do that to a child? there is a genetic trait that kills jewish babies, gawd help I can't think of the name. They are born and begin to die.



I found it... Tay-Sachs disease (abbreviated TSD, also known as GM2 gangliosidosis or Hexosaminidase A deficiency) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. In its most common variant known as infantile Tay-Sachs disease it presents with a relentless deterioration of mental and physical abilities which commences at 6 months of age and result ultimately in death usually by the age of four.



I could not survive something like that, not mentally. Not knowing I could have prevented the suffering of the child but didn't.



Downs is so unpredictable. It could be so mild or so severe. I would be hard pressed to make a decision.



I had human parvo virus in my first trimester. It can cause heart & brain defects. Heart defects could be repaired but brain ..... you can't fix a damaged brain. We had so much to consider. In the end we decided to let the first ultrasound make the decision for us. With no visible anomalies, we would take our chances. There was some fluid around the heart but none on the brain - well like we said a heart could be fixed and the child could grow up mostly normal & healthy and they could draw off excess fluid (the pressure would keep the heart from developing normally) - it was risky but a viable option. So we went ahead with the pregnancy and she was born perfectly fine. The fluid around the heart resolved itself without intervention but I had weekly ultrasounds to keep track of it.



There are some other genetic issues that if they occured in my family I would definitely have had the tests done and aborted. Its just not worth the suffering for the child or the family.