termination for cleft palate

[Jimjams]

looks as if that story may have been true:

www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-904495,00.html

The title of the article says it all really....

And again?

Eh?? What's happening?

You mean she had the termination so that the leukaemia could be treated, but then died anyway? What a terrible outcome.

my mum was told ro terminate my littlew sister as the docs thought she had spina bifita. we know a lasy who has soina bifita and leads an almost normal life. my mum refused, the hospital kept telling her to terminate, she refused and my sister was born perfectly healthy. this was 21years ago, dont know what testing they did, but my mum is glad she stuck to her guns and had my sister against docs advice.

I got told to have an abortion, but i realised at the time the doctor was covering his back. I was just angry, and kept my baby

Suedomin, I cannot believe that anyone would be 'healthier' after going through such a porcedure.
God, I've got so much racing through my mind now. I can't even think straight to post any of it. I am utterly disgusted.

Just told DH and he said they might as well take the baby out and put a gun to it's head.......I think that's pretty much what they are doing anyway.
I could cry, I'm so horrified.

I mentioned the possibility of trisomy 18 before, but I really don't think it can have been a factor in this case (because I don't think anyone would object to a termination on the grounds of trisomy 13 or 18, These babies really do fit the criteria of severely disabled). I'm sure this case must have been just for a cleft palate otherwise it wouldn't have got this far. Also the Tom Shakespeare article points out that there was a termination (pre 24 weeks) in 2002 for cleft palate.

What are we going to do about it? Its all well and good that we're upset. But i think some action is in order, may be a march

I remember the stuff about partial birth abortions a few months ago. Revolting.

This is terrible - should be classed as murder!!!

awful to even think it but surely the baby will feel it by that stage!

I just wondered if the cleft lip was caused by Trisomy 13 or 18. One can never be sure of all of the fact in these cases. I deeply hope that it was linked to something more severe (IYSWIM). If partial information came out about it, it might be misleading.

I don't believe it can have been hmb as they seem to be classified seperately (according to the stats in the article). I mean a termination for trisomy 13 or 18 is never going to be recorded as cleft palate.

I was pleased to see the article mentioned the spectrum of DS, challenging the commonly held belief that all people with DS are severely disabled.

I think the newer scan machines can pick up cleft palate- certainly the 3D ones can.

I wondered if they would be double entered, so, for cleft lip, and then again for trisomy 18. And the info pick up mistakenly. I just didn't want it to be for Cleft lip alone I suppose.

I have only flicked through the article but feel sickened. My brother now aged 29 was born with a hare lip and cleft palate and he is no way disadvantaged because of it. He has had several operations as a child and teenger to repair it - I believe these can now be done much more quickly, earlier and with even less scarring than before too. He had speech therapy as a child and now his speech is fine. He is a very successful engineer, having gained a first at uni. I just feel horrified and sick that anyone would feel that this is a fine reason to terminate

Just read the partial birth abortions , will almost, got 2 the explanantion and nearly threw up. Now I have a baby ,I just feel the emotion and pain so much more. Absolutely barbaric and appalling. WHERE DO THEY DO THIS?? How can it be allowed?? I feel so upset & sickened I cant seem to get the description out of my head. It is very disturbing.

IIRC China do 'abortions' at birth, if the parents have more than one child already. But I can't bring myself to read the article, as I feel I know what it will say, and I can't think about it.

PBAs were meant to be performed on hydrocephalic babies who have enlarged sculls. In the USA there were just over 2000 performed last year. Congress has twice voted for a federal ban, but it has twice been vetoed by the Senate. I think that it is currently up before the Supreme Court.

As far as I remember PBAs aren't illegal here as it they are regarded as never actually being performed.

I really don't see how a PBA can be justified for the health of the mother, which is the reason given in the majority of cases. And the cleft palate case scares me.

Meant to also say that if the pro PBA lobby say it is for hydrocephalic babies (and the abuse of the system shouldn't penalise the system), then why not let them be born by c/s and die naturally? It really makes me ill.

Are abortions ever done as C-sections? What if the fetus just won't come out?

NOTE TO SELF .... DO NOT READ THREADS LIKE THIS WHEN PREGNANT ....

I taught a little boy whose very severe cleft palate and hare lip was picked up at his 20 week scan. He had several operations at GOSH as a baby and a little child. By the time he was in my class when he was 8 you could hardly see it and he was a very handsome boy ... he had an op at GOSH that year to close a small hole in his palate ... and would need one when he was a bit older as his palate grew ...

He was an extremely bright child with so much potential ... terrible if his mother had terminated his pregnancy ...

When I first heard about the case hmb I thought it must have been for trisomy 18 or 13 as well, and that it had been sensationalised but having read more it really doesn't look as if it was.

That was my thought too. How very, very sad.