Why is it that people are so obsessed with testing for Downs syndrome, when there are so many other disabilities which cannot be tested for, that are far, far worse?

[wannaBe]

It baffles me.

When we fall pregnant we are offered tests, and scans, most, although not all of which relate to the detection of Downs Syndrome.

At 12 weeks we are offered a nuchal fold scan to determine the likelyhood of the baby having downs, and women over 35 are routinely offered anmio to detect whether the baby has downs.

92% of pregnancies where Downs is detected are terminated .

And yet there are lots of other disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, autism, other disabilities which cause learning difficulties, which cannot be detected in utero, but which can be much, much worse than downs.

So what is it about Downs that is so scary?

Or would people have far more stressful pregnancies if all disabilities could be tested for, and would they feel that they had to be sure their baby would be perfect?

wannabe, believe me, there was no difference made between us...and my mum didn't pander to me, or anything....tbh, I would have happily swapped with my sister anyday...she could have had the cleft lip and palate if she wanted it so much, and the 8 surgeries that went with it, and the braces I had to wear for god how many years and the looks and pointing and being made fun off and the speechtherapy and the tube feeds and the inections/anaestisias and all those moments where I was alone in Hospital longing for my mum and a cuddle to take away the pain....but you see, she was embaressed that she had a weird looking sister, so, doubt she would have taken that offer

twelvelegs
for what it is worth
DS2 has very severe SN
he has travelled with us to holidays in France, Spain, America, Antigua,Ireland, and St Lucia as well as skiing in Italy and sailing holidays with the school.
Damn I feel inhibited

riven , because I know a child that has this, and I know it is incredible rare and I know there are different "levels" of severety, but this little one is quite badly effected!....

Hopefully nowadays no child will ever need to be bedbound....hopefully this will NOT happen...when I was nursing I happen to have met some young people that, possibly due to lack of knowledge of their conditin ended up in such a predicament....I do know things have moved on, and I shal be lerning lots about that soon (what with me starting my OT degree on Monday)!

riven , Having spent many summers with a pushchair and struggling, with the holes in the pavements, running accross very busy roads, not being able to get into shops etc and seeing many disabled people in China (with no support financial or otherwise). As China has an automatic termination policy and screening, I might add, it is unlikely that they would ever be able to debate whether or not to terminate a disabled or SN child.
No wheelchair access in most places, no lifts and as for the paralympics there is population of 1.4 billion I'm not so sure the few that represented China are truly representative.
I guess if you follow your own logic you really shouldn't comment on China and their attitudes or fascilities to disabled people as I expect you've never been. {shock}

well, I know that now ...I mean that my sister is the one with the problem....

and riven, your mil sounds shocking....

By the way this is the same for many of the Asian countries I have visited. Ever tried a wheelchair on a Tuk Tuk. Besides this is true for me... again returning to the what I feel is right for my family argument.

PS China also showed happy athletes would had a rich and properous life, not really reflective of the majority of the population is it? Ask the petty theif who has just had his kidney donated (with no after care for infection) to someone who could pay, because he has no human rights.

Fio
yes
shall I keep my SN child or shall I go to China. One of lifes more obvious questions

I do love your name Fio. But in my head I always have to stand up and point at the oppsing fans shouting FFIIIOOOOOO FIIIOOOOOO footie style

btw, to those that have children with sn/ or have sn/disabilities , etc...themselves...would it be a bad idea to actually start a thread about what annoys you the most...the comments, etc...I think, in light of my course, it would be really helpful if I knew what to avoid....but also would be lovely to know what things have helped you the most, what you appreciate the most about proffessionals and everyone around you....
I think it can sometimes be such a minefield...and I would hate it if I upset a patient/client/the family that I am meant to help!

PMSL at not going to China with a disabled child.

We flew to the other side of the world with dd1 earlier this year, and the destination (USA) was only chosen because we were meeting a friend there.

we have talked about going to China, actually, and will probably do so in the next couple of years. and dd1 has huge dietry issues, along with the general difficulties of autism and travel (see fivecandles, we can admit to difficutlies).

But I too find it distasteful to refer to posts on the SN section as any kind of evidence of our lives. The section is there for us to vent when we need to (much as most of the rest of mumsnet is there for similar reasons) and to pool much needed information about various disabilities,a s usually the professionals we are seeing do not know up to date facts (whether on health, day-to-day living, or educational issues).

The fact that the professionals do not know the up to date stuff was part of what this thread was about, imo, as eidsvold was eloquently discussing earlier.

But you, fivecandles, would prefer to harp on about how anyone who has posted on this thread about living with disabilities only paints the good side of life.

I have had a pretty crappy day, tbh. Both dds have been whining and whinging all afternoon. What one has, the other one wants. When that is resolved they both want different stories read, and scream if i choose one over the other. they did, then didn't, then did, then didn't want their tea. Now they want something to eat before bed (preferably chocolate based).

Life with a disabled child making life unbearable for her sibling? or just a bad day in a life with a (any) 4yr old and a (any) toddler?

I mentioned it as it was one thing I take for granted tht I could no longer do if one of my children has severe SN. (12 hour flight with three 'nt' children) I would imagine there are restrictions on a carer per SN child? I could be wrong.

can't remember who mentioned china (btw....I don't think for me travelling would ever be part of the decision making process....just for the record}

I have three children too Twelve.
Itreavelled to St Lucia with DS1 ds2 and DD who was 18 months at the time.
Stuff can be do - able.
Exactly the kind of pre-perceptions that we are talking about. People have gaped at me when I have said we are taking DS2 away but he loves it. I always bag sitting next to him because he is fab

USA mmm and China both have a long flight, and there the similarity ends. If I didn't go to China my children would not see their Grandparents.... all factors in my life. Would I give a child up for adoption that I had gazed upon and falled in love with? No. Would I choose to terminate a fetus I have no relationship with? Yes.
Life, for me, happens when the child takes their first breath. Up until that point my family and I come very much first.

Rolf at Fiiioooooo