Are we too frightened of downs syndrome?
The number of unborn babies diagnosed with Down's syndrome in England and Wales has gone up by more than seventy per cent in the last twenty years.
Researchers writing in the British Medical Journal also found the number of abortions associated with Down's had increased.
On the phone-in from 9am this morning: are we too frightened of downs syndrome?
Is there enough support and information for people who are faced with this decision? Do we fully understand what it is to have downs syndrome or care for a child born with downs?
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Are there you are! Better late than never.
I have a friend who cares for 2 'Downs' Adults. In their case, there has never been so much available for them now in the way of benefits, education, leisure activities and general information for them and their carers. They lead full and rewarding lives which in the past would not have been possible and a good thing too.
Of course abortion is an option for those who don't feel they could cope with the challenges of a 'downs child' and that is a personal decision which nobody else should judge them for.
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My granddaughter has Downs. After the initial shock, and believe me it was a great shock, we soon realised she wasn't not some kind of freak just a very special slightly different baby. She's now 7 years old and in main stream school, well behind most of the other children but she'll get there. She's just very special with a wonderful loving nature, she's funny and can be just as stroppy as any other child. She is an absolute angel and aborting her would have been the greatest crime.
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I would like to stand up for all the women out there who cannot even have a child. I have had 7 miscarriages and despite all testing being 'normal' no experts can tell me what is wrong. I have had to learn to accept that I will never have a birth child and deal with the emotional/physical aspects surrounding miscarriage (of which there are plenty) but I like many women out there, would have been happy just to have given birth whether the baby had Downs or not. I think anyone who has even got to the stage of being able to choose whether to abort or continue with the pregnancy is lucky.
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We live in a society where children with downs can grow up with a very good quality of life, so really it's up to the parents whether or not they want to take on the responsibility of providing and supporting that life.
This should be the choice of the parents, not medical professionals, not religious groups and not the family, unless the family is being asked to provide direct support.
That said, like any major choice, the decision to have an abortion should never be an easy one, lest it is rushed.
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My daughter was only 17 when she had my grandaughter Keeley in 2005, it was a shock to us all at that age but we just got on with it and she is now in mainstream school.People need educating about Down Syndrome not keep having statistics thrown at them. Keeley is the most wonderful little girl and has many friends both in and out of school and really wouldnt change her for the world,some people are just ignorant or bigotted and really have no understanding. Abortion is a big decision for anybody whatever the reasons but some people might change thier minds if the Goverment provided us with more information, about not just only the problems that go with Downs but also the benefits.. :-)
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I was told my first baby probably had VERY serious problems and may well not survive for very long. I refused invasive treatments as I knew I wanted to give the baby its chance at life! As it was I gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Yes, the baby would be my the responsibility of the parents and any decision to abort is of course a personal one, but at the root of it all are the rights of the life - the baby - that has already been created. Who has a right to say that a baby is 'not worth' keeping and can be aborted just because they are children with Down's Syndrome or other 'disabilities' for example.
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//Who has a right to say that a baby is 'not worth' keeping and can be aborted just because they are children with Down's Syndrome or other 'disabilities' for example.
//
Well, no-one has a right to say that, of course, but parents have a right to make their own decision; and surely it must be a difficult and extremely personal one to make.
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