To be shocked 90% of Down's babies are aborted?

[Strictly]

I was jut reading this sorry, yes it's from the DM!

and then did a little Googling and it turns out 91% of people told their baby has DS will have an abortion...

I'm just astounded it's so high. I'm not making a judgment on the idea people might abort, but am very shocked that it seems almost universal to abort if told the baby has Down's.

I wonder what it is about that particular condition that 91% of people feel they could not live with? The rates for abortions of Cerebral Palsy babies for example is nowhere near as high. Is it just that Down's is easy to detect so the majority of people actually get the chance to decide?

I can't type on new phone in.car, but you get the.idea

I meant it would be harder to make the decision once baby was born, not that it wasn't real, sorry.

Is easy to decide such things in theory , less so when you are holding a breathing baby.

Sorry I wasn't clear

But she was talking about her premature baby, and his potential for intraventricular bleeding in the context of some signs that this was a real risk ? It sounded 'real' rather than abstract/theoretical, IYSWIM.

I just think she might have changed her mind if the baby was born:and did have a bleed, it would be even harder to.make.that decision than it.would be before te baby was born.

At the end of the day this argument originally was about down syndrome. I know I have caused offence in stating what I have about my son.
I have been judged here as well as many other areas, including family.
My niece is also down syndrome, quite capable, no medical issues etc. I get fed up of the disregard and disrespect DS receives, however people do need to know all aspects.
Imagine if I didn't have an open mind and listened to all the positive aspects people like to portray. Now imagine the next person who comes along listening to the positives and is downheartend as they have a child who is just like mine. I know we don't "fit" many places. Due to some of his issues we are even not as welcome by downs communities.
However my son is hear to teach everybody lessons, we all just have to think what those are. I already have learnt some of those he has to teach me. If people took the time out to get to know my son and all his quirks maybe he would enrich your life.
I love my child so much and the bond (which is one way)I have for him is stronger than my other children. I would be lost without him in my life.
It is not wrong my son or my niece being on this earth, having a life, just like everybody, we are here for a reason. Just like it is not wrong for the person to terminate.
Everybody in life has to make their own decisions.

I think it's because if you have a Downs baby - you will have to look after it forever and it's too daunting a thought

Of course if you had that baby you would love it - possibly more than your other children even - but I suspect the high rate of terminations is down to the fear of knowing that once you've had this baby it's never going to leave home and will always be dependent on you; so when you die who will look after him/her? Or even whilst you are still alive but possibly in your 80's or 90's and simply unable to.

A) that is not true. They could well live apart from you.
B) I will probably have to look after my dd forever and I won't mind at all.

A) that is not true. They could well live apart from you.
B) I will probably have to look after my dd forever and I won't mind at all.

Sorry, I hope I haven't caused you any offence. I didn't mean that one would 'mind', I was just answering the OP question. She was asking why so many terminations and I think it's because of that.

No offence caused. It's just all these things that people think they couldn't cope with /want to do are different when it's your child.

I dont think I would have changed my mind, but you're right, no-one knows 100%.

Deviant, I don't think your posts have been offensive at all :)

I am not suprised at the statistics at all. As a woman who has had two babies in 40s I was dismayed at the way Downs was presented to me.

I do not judge those who make the very hard decision to terminate a pregnancy for whatever reason.

I reserve my judgement for the way society views disability, particularly Downs and learning disabilities.

I was seemingly bombarded with negativity about the chance of having a baby with Downs. Just Downs, nothing else. It seemed to be the most awful thing that could befall a pregnant woman and should be avoided at all costs.

Personally I dont agree with this, I know that its not the worse thing that could happen to a family.

I think our society attached less stigma to Downs syndrome (I suspect that it is because it is visable) parents may make a different choice.

I feel the money spent of coming up with ways of preventing disabled children being born would be better spent of making our world an easier place to live in if you are disabled.

Worzel, anyway, I am glad you didn't have to face the terrible decision in the end.

Deviant, no one is offended by your posts I'm sure.

Fanjo - I didn't say that people with genetic conditions are "second class" at all.

I said I would avoid to have a baby with an incurable genetic condition if I possibly could. Surely many (if not most) people feel this way, which is why antenatal screening is offered in the first place.

what would worry me about a high risk of Down's would be the child's quality of life as an adult, as well as during infancy and childhood. Especially as people with Down's have a much higher risk of developing early dementia (in their 40s).

No idea what I'd actually do in that situation - you can't tell until you have been there, I imagine.

I did have lots of testing with ds as I have epilepsy and anti-epileptic drugs can cause a range of birth defects such as but not limited to spina bifida. Although fortunately my neurologists had some common sense and had put me on one that was believed to be less likely to cause birth defects when I was first diagnosed, but the outcome was still not certain.

I had the tests because I wanted to know and to be prepared if there was a problem. Don't know what I'd have done if the results had been bad - luckily they weren't. But I wanted to have all possible information, so if anything was wrong, at least we would be prepared and the doctors would be prepared to offer whatever care the baby might need (heart defects were another possibility).

I was well aware that there are lots of other unrelated conditions that can't be tested for, and none of the tests offer a guarantee of a healthy baby, btw.

Well, as others have said, because people don't want to have such children the perception does increase of them being inferior, rather than people just having their kids and being happy with whatever they get.

Of course there are conditions that are not tested for so no amount of testing can guarantee a healthy baby in the end (not to mention possibility of damage during birth), but surely it is understandable to reduce the risk where you can - i.e. re conditions like DS and Edwards Syndrome that amnios actually test for.

Devient, I think it's important that all voices are heard of people who have experienced bring up a child with Downs syndromes. If you go on the Downs syndrome association websites, they are so keen to counter the negative associations with Downs, that they sometimes do focus a lot on 'happy every after' cute children who don't have as many problems as your son does. I know an adult lady with Downs syndrome who has very many problems and is highly aggressive, as well as pre-verbal, as well as extremely large, and managing her behaviour is very difficult on a day to day basis. People often don't want to hear that story either. You sound like you have an amazing relationship with your son, but it doesn't sound like you are idealistic either.

"Inferior" is not the same thing as "second class", though.

Devient it is very important that you should be able to talk about your experiences. My views are very clear on disability but I am not offended by your posts.

I wish that the information given was more balanced and there was less of a spotlight on Downs. It makes it seem like a dreadful condition and one to be avoided at any cost. This could lull people into a false sense of security beause you cannot test for many conditions. Being clear of Downs does not mean a healthy baby with no LDs.

Having a child with a life long disability does not and should mean a child living with their parents for the rest of their lives. Everyone should have the choice to live independently of their families whatever their disabilities.

Thats what I mean about the money spent on research to stop babies being born (you cant get rid of Downs because it is not hereditary, you cant 'breed' it out). Spend the money on better support, housing and education. Disability is not the major factor in quality of life, its how society views disability and treats those who they see as different.

Inferior is the same as second class here.

Do you think, therefore, it is wrong that if you were undergoing IVF doctors wouldn't implant an embryo which was shown to be affected by Down Syndrome?