A world without Down's syndrome?

[Hulababy]

Anyone else watching?

Interesting so far

Termination is always an option Random.

But I'm just not understanding what she's actually advocating. Is she against all testing or just accurate non invasive testing? Does she disagree with amnios on the NHS?

Termination should always be an option. Phillips is not pro choice at all if she wants to remove the right of people to have legal terminations for reasons she doesn't like.

I've turned it off.

It is all very emotive but it really is down to personal choice.

I/we chose to have a CVS with dc4. I would have much preferred a non invasive test as the fear of losing the baby due to the procedure added to the stress at a very difficult time.

Yes, Random, but women in this country are able to opt for a termination simply because they don't want a child at that point in their life. Is that any more ethically acceptable? Either we're pro choice or we're not.

I feel like I haven't actually learned anything from this programme. I'm not even quite sure what it's supposed to be about rather than to tell us that Downs is wonderful.

both my ds's were high risk of downs, I had an amnio with ds1 but not ds2 as he kept lying in the wrong way

I dont like the narrators reaction to the woman who has a termination as she was carrying a down baby, she didnt understand her reasons but expects her reasons for having a child with downs, even though she didnt actually know and says she doesnt know what she'd have done if she knew when she was pregnant

its a very personnel choice and no one is right or wrong, but I don feel this woman isnt right to make this programme, as she didnt know she was having a downs baby, I'd rather the programme was made by a woman who had the screening and found out she was carrying a downs baby and went ahead with the pregnancy.

Just to point out - it's possible to be an active Christian and be pro choice. I am.

Morality? This programme is a disgrace.

Property - I think she really wants to advocate an end to all testing but she knows that would be unpalatable so she is saying let's stop the accurate non-invasive test in order to force women to make a decision to risk possible miscarriage if they want to have a prenatal diagnosis. Let's make it as horrible and scary for women as possible in the hope fewer will exercise their right to choose.

I think she shouldn't have been so emotive and left her son out of it.

I agree that the programme is too focused on Down's with no mention of Patau's syndrome or Edward's syndrome. I think testing and the option of a termination for the latter two conditions is very important, as is education about the conditions. I also agree that the problem is society and the lack of family support rather than with the person/ condition.

says she doesnt know what she'd have done if she knew when she was pregnant

I wonder if this is where her motivation comes from- guilt? Looking at her child and wondering if she'd made a different choice if she'd have known?

the thing is, she went for the blood test obviously and as her son was one in a thousand she wouldn't have been offered the amnio....so she didnt find out for sure one way or another

but she wants to take this choice away from other women?

It's just horrible. I liked her before but know I just think she's judgemental and vile.

Know - now

I think so craic, seems to me shes trying too hard to say others should have down babies and not to give them the choice not to....but she says she didnt know what she'd have done if she knew she was carrying a downs baby

I dont know, this programme makes me uncomfortable, she protests too much to me

I think she's being very condescending and patronising.
I had an amnio on each pregnancy and would have jumped at the chance of having a (as I understand it) test with less risk of miscarriage earlier in pregnancy.
I would have terminated without a doubt if it had come back with downs or any of the other trisomies.

She's got a huge pair or rose tinted specs on how it is to be the parent or sibling of a disabled child without the lifestyle and money she has.

I know a a woman with a child with a similar disability, this child has numerous health issues has required significant surgeries. It's undoubtedly affected her health and relationship.
The child is older now and mum worries about how the child will cope when she's older and when her and her dh are too old (or dead)

It came on while DS (12) was still up. We were screened at that Professor's clinic during my pregnancy with him as nowhere locally did it and DS was found to be at significantly higher risk compared to that based on my age only. We didn't have amnio or CVS, although they were recommended. DS (who does not have DS or Edwards but does have AS) was asking all sorts of pertinent questions as we watched but it really was too close to home so we turned over, I will watch it later.

Having heard Sally interviewed on the radio yesterday I do agree with PPs that not only is it very different if you are already in poverty or otherwise disadvantaged, but also that she is still relatively early in her journey through her son's life. Also that there was no mention in that interview of her Christian beliefs.

she is very god bothery, i don't think with her position of money, status etc. and her fervent faith she is best placed to make such an emotive virtue signalling show.

Wow, that was shockingly unbalanced
Wtf is that doing on bbc2?!

I would have liked to hear from people that have children with ds that actually are struggling

It was incredibly unbalanced and one sided
Feel like I've just watched a brain washing propaganda load of bullshit

There was also no mention of various health issues that often come as part and parcel of ds

Yes abortion as a choice should always exist. Just like the case where a woman had a "late" termination for baby with cleft palate, yep her choice.

The discussion (not judgement) is what else should we be/will we be actively screening for so that termination becomes the presumed likely choice? Standard recommendation for Turners Syndrome is also termination.

What if becomes likeliness to develop childhood Type 2 diabetes - the health risks, the impact on quality of life.

As with many syndromes, illnesses and dystrophies - they have each often have a wide range of effects, some people are affecting mildly, some very severely. We will never have a crystal ball to see what the future really holds.

In the future shall we increase screening at a later point in pregnancy when more things are identifiable and then give termination as the recommendation (I'm not talking about it not being an option, but about it being the automatic recommendation) - 30, 35 weeks???

I'm glad there is a programme about this issue.
I hope it will encourage more discussion.
I think we need to ask ourselves whether it should be socially acceptable to terminate a foetus with 'Down's Syndrome'.

I've got to the bit where she's crying at the lady's termination story and making it all about her .

Cowbag.