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Original poster

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

575 replies

Strictly · 14/01/2011 09:20

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... Shock

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?

OP posts:
EdgarAleNPie · 14/01/2011 13:49

well, the hospital i had my abortion (for a different reason) at had a standard policy of not offering abortions - they were on a request basis only.

i don't find that stat shocking at all.

i find it shocking that people on here don't consider that of that 90% some of those people will already have children with disabilities, if not a child with downs already. They aren't ignorant. They are fully aware of what they can and can't deal with.

I find it shocking that people will argue against having the screening without realising that could mean you give birth, in the middle of the night, at a bog standard hospital to a baby requiring immediate surgery if it is going to live - when if you'd known in advance and continued with the pregnancy you'd have needed to give birth with a surgical team prepped and ready to go - at a specialist unit.

also, the huge majority of abortions are of foetuses that are as far anyone knows, NT .

Blu · 14/01/2011 13:56

2Shoes - thank you v much for that important clarification - I didn't know that - that children living at home, with their parents, could also be classed as looked after.

There are also many disabled children living in foster care, and offered for adoption - but it's a complex, complex thing - for a start, if the child's disability is caused by fetal alcohol syndrome or is drug related, then the fact that the child is in care will have as much to do with the nature of the parenting as the fact that that parenting also caused disability, iyswim.

Blu · 14/01/2011 14:01

EdgarAlenPie - your point about the value of screening as a basis for preparation is spot on. Our case is minor, but the fact that DS's dodgy leg had been found at our scan was incredibly helpful to me - we could find things out, plan, put al our (groundless) initial fears t rest - much better than finding out in the middle of the night with no expert voice on hand.

We had already met Ds's consultant before he was born, and she visited him on the day he was born to start ordering physio and splints etc.

Many parents would find it better to give birth in a hospital equiped to carry out neo natal heart surgery than have to transfer by emergency ambulance.

WorzselMummage · 14/01/2011 14:01

So sorry for your loss goingdownhill :(

There are some downright unpleasent posts on here, just ignore them. Some people like nothing more than upsetting people.

I don't know what I'd do if I were pregnant with a baby with downs, I don't think it's possible to know untill you are faced with the facts. I would terminate a baby who's quality of life was going to be zero though and when my ds was born very prematurely we would not have wanted him 'saved' to be subjected thereafter to a life of pain, I could never have forgiven myself.

Each persons decision has to be respected as it is them who has to live ith the consequences.

WorzselMummage · 14/01/2011 14:03

He was fine I should have said but not all prems are, some do die and a lot are left with life limiting conditions.

tigitigi · 14/01/2011 14:07

going - I am so sorry for your loss - my heart aches for you and what you have gone through. People make decisions for a variety of reasons - yours were made with love, you, your precious daughter and her father did not deserve what happened.

seeker - completely true, it was over 10 years ago when the internet was not quite so available - I helped her stand up to the pressure, she was just left with a sense of the inexorable from the hospital, much like wannabes friend.

Onetoomanycornettos · 14/01/2011 14:11

Screening for Downs syndrome (the current scan and blood test) doesn't tell you if the baby has Downs syndrome, the only way to do that is to have an invasive test which has a miscarriage risk. So, not many people have an amnio or CVS just to prepare, or for the risk of needing heart surgery at birth, because the risk of miscarriage is too high for them.

If diagnosis is made easier, say, you can actually diagnose through a blood test (which you can't at the moment), then I'm guessing a lot more people would want screening for that reason or to prepare.

ragged · 14/01/2011 14:15

So sorry for your loss, goingdownhill.
I know someone who went thru something extremely similar; that fetus happened to have Downs Syndrome, btw, and also a load of other health problems. The mother looked at the prognosis and felt sure that it would be horrendous to put the child thru it.

I don't think a simple 91% statistic can capture that kind of complex consideration.

I knew already that risk of stillbirth was very high for children with Downs Syndrome. Another thing that most frightens me about DS is the high likelihood of the child needing open heart surgery soon after birth. I don't know if I could cope knowing that was coming.

Onetoomanycornettos · 14/01/2011 14:17

And, Goingdownhill, I'm so sorry for your loss.

MainlyMaynie · 14/01/2011 14:29

Goingdownhill I am so, so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you are going through. Please do not let a handful of ill-informed people on here upset you any further than you are already.

cestlavielife · 14/01/2011 14:37

goingdownhill - sorri for your loss.

i dont think anyone feels you "deserve" this. of course not.

some people making comments in a generalised way, possibly without any direct knowledge of such situations.

SantasMooningArse · 14/01/2011 14:38

Goingdownhill

Blu · 14/01/2011 15:00

Oh, GoingDownHill - how terribly sad for you, I am so sorry.

Please know that no one on this thread would have anything but incredible sympathy for you.

sevendwarves · 14/01/2011 15:34

I'm surprised it's that high tbh.

We knew that there was a 50% chance DS would have Muscular Dystrophy, and the consultant did discuss the option of termination. I didnt even have the amnio, I knew I wanted to keep my baby regardless. It turned out DS does have Muscular Dystrophy, but he's still my wonderful boy.

I'm not judging anyone who terminates and it is a tough decision, but I knew it was the right choice for us.

What does concern me is that under these circumstances a baby can be aborted up until 30 weeks if pregnancy, and I'd be intrigued to find out the number of babies aborted after the standard 24 weeks. DS was born at 35 weeks and didn't even need to go to the SCBU.

theevildead2 · 14/01/2011 15:36

We declined the test. I did go for the 20 week scan to check the heart and everything, if I was going to have a baby that was in constant pain we definintly would have had to abort. :(

Downs on its own wasn't reason enough for me though.

I suppose generally people have the test because they know they would abort iyswim because otherwise the wouldn't risk an amnio. So that probably skewes the results a bit?

I didn't bother with nuchial fold as I knew I wouldn't rick an amnio and would only scare myself for 7 months if I got the "wrong" results

sevendwarves · 14/01/2011 15:43

Goingdownhill I'm so sorry for your terrible loss, I can't even begin to imagine the pain you must be feeling.

mrskbpw · 14/01/2011 16:12

Goingdownhill - I'm sure you know about this already, but my best friend found brilliant support from ARC when she lost her baby. www.arc-uk.org/

She has gone on to have a healthy, gorgeous little boy (my godson!), although we always remember her first little one. I am sending you lots of love. I'm very sorry for the loss of your daughter. xxx

NancyDrewHasaClue · 14/01/2011 16:21

goingdownhill I am so sorry for the loss of Alexandra. There are lots of people on MN who have been in your position and many more who have lost babies and understand exactly the pain involved.

Some people are insufferably holier than though about decisions they have never had to make and as such are best dismissed as arrigant twats who have no comprehension of the reality of making the sorts of very personal and complex decisions that are behind these statistics.

SaggyHairyArse · 14/01/2011 16:28

goingdownhill, if you haven't contacted them already, ARC can offer support, they have an online group and have telephone 'befrienders'. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of Alexandra, of course I understand that this was not a choice in real terms, unless you have been there it is difficult to relate to being told your baby has abnormalities (((hugs)))

NancyDrewHasaClue · 14/01/2011 16:37

goingdownhill Sands are also great.

Very supportive and you will not be judged in anyway.

sarah293 · 14/01/2011 17:13

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SaggyHairyArse · 14/01/2011 17:28

Riven, that is beyond ignorant and downright cruel.

I was actually talking to my BF today about children with AENs being integrated into mainstream school. His sister is in her 30's and she has DS and went to a 'special school' as that was the way back then. He was surprised there are children with DS and other AENs at my DC school.

We were talking about how 'normal' children should be aware that people are all different and also that children with AENs should not be some kind of lesser species that cannot be valued in society.

DiamondDoris · 14/01/2011 17:29

It's sad, but I won't judge, it's a service made possible by scientific advancement. Maybe oneday, science will be able to prevent the chromosomal (sp?) abnormalities from happening, although that's bordering on eugenics. I chose to not have my babies screened in any way (I was an older mother) because I'd had 4 miscarriages in a row, and wanted a baby, I didn't care if it was a lovely downs baby. Both my children are not downs. One is diabetic, the other possibly aspergers - crazy about them!

julybutterfly · 14/01/2011 17:33

goingdownhill

I had to terminate my pregnancy at 22 weeks 18 months ago due to abnormalities which meant DD wouldn't have survived past delivery. You kind of just get used to ignorant people who think everything is so black and white - not that it makes it any easier.

Feel free to send a message to my inbox if you want to 'chat'

So sorry for your loss xx

sarah293 · 14/01/2011 17:40

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