Down Syndrome: An Abortion Controversy

As a parent of a special needs child I find it interesting when there is any discussion about whether children should be born if it is known prior to birth that they will have a genetic disorder.  While I appreciate that people who have never had contact with a special needs child the prospect of what the birth of that child will do to your life may be extremely daunting I think it is important to consider what the child is still capable of doing, rather than what they are unable to do.

My Son has a syndrome that is relatively unknown and there is no difinitive test for, so his diagnosis is not 100% and honestly I have my doubts.  He goes to school and is in a special education pre school class.  His best friend in class is a little girl who has down syndrome.  I had never had such direct contact with a child with Downs before, and I am extremely impressed on how bright and active she is.  This little girl is barely 4 years old and functions at a higher level than my child who is almost 5 years old.  We can never really compare the development of special needs children as they vary even more greatly than "normal" children do.  However I must say that this little girl has an interest in the computer in the class room, she knows what the mouse does, she can identify colors and many other items.  She is shy and doesnt show her verbal skills very often, but I know she can do it.  She has a great attraction for my little boy who is unable to walk, talk or do much of anything.  This little darling girl will offer him is drink cup at lunch time, wipe his mouth with a napkin and takes care of him so lovingly.  To imangine that this angel would possibly have been lost from this world and many others like her is a sad thought considering how precious she is.  I never look at her and think about what she cannot do, just watch in amazement at how she has totally defied what other people see in how she is different and acts like a "normal" little girl who just has some extra challenges.

Just after my son was born - who we did not have prior notice of his difficulties until after his birth.  I had a visit from an aquantance.  She was pregnant, but shared with me that the year previous she had had a termination because the downs test was positive.  This dove me into deep thought on the subject.  Prior to having a special needs child I always thought I could never cope with a child that was different and hoped that it would never happen to me.  It did.. and I would be lost without my little guy.  There is no way that I could ever say life is easy cause it is not, every day poses a different challenge but at the same time even the smallest acheivements are a huge celebration. 

Thank you Jennifer.  

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com ( http://catherine-morgan.com/ ), The Political Voices of Women ( http://politicsanew.com/ ), Care2 Election< ( http://www.care2.com/politics/features/ )

Thank you for this thoughtful and thorough post...you've referenced some of my very favorite bloggers!  And you've hit all the main points of the conversation, too...

One thought I'd like to add is that I believe most of us who have kids with DS feel that our lives as their parents are often misunderstood.  Our kids are capable of much more, and achieve much more, than what the public commonly assumes. 

Too, many of our children are born without any major medical issues.  The insurance concern is real, for all kids, but perhaps not especially for kids with DS.  And all states have programs that are free to parents to support the early growth and development of babies and toddlers with DS. 

Certainly, as with all children, parenthood is challenging.  But too, full of immeasurable rewards.  I think most parents of kids with DS will tell you this is true for us, too.

Jennifer Graf Groneberg

Road Map to Holland (NAL/Penguin, 2008)

www.jennifergrafgroneberg.com ( http://www.jennifergrafgroneberg.com/ )

Thanks for your comment, I totally agree with you. 

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com ( http://catherine-morgan.com/ ), The Political Voices of Women ( http://politicsanew.com/ ), Care2 Election< ( http://www.care2.com/politics/features/ )

What bothers me about the Down Syndrome baby or not debate is that the viewpoints are so extreme. I do not see how, from believing that individuals should be supported in their choice to have or not to have a baby with Down Syndrome, it follows directly that one supports eugenics and the weeding out of the gene pool every person who can be perceived as imperfect by some random set of criteria. Those two things are not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Having the choice not to have a baby also does not mean you want to force others not to have them either.

One problem is that there is no way to know how mild or how severe a Down
Syndrome fetus's disabilities will be except a while after he or she is born. However, I think the issue has less to do with the practical realities of raising a child who will need, potentially, a lot of resources to have a good life. (Although - what if (like me) you only have yourself and your spouse to rely on for any form of care (we have no relatives who could pitch in even with a few hours of babysitting, now or in the future), and what if your health insurance is somewhat iffy because (like my husband and I) you do not have the kinds of jobs that come with benefits?) One does not have children for practical reasons but in order to love them. And if someone does not believe she'd be able to love the child she's carrying, or that she should be forced to continue with a pregnancy in spite of herself, then she should have the choice to abort the pregnancy without being judged for her honesty.

That said, health insurance and tax-funded resources and assistance really need to be expanded for people with Down Syndrome or any other disability, right along with the rest of us. Because you know, choice means supporting other people in their choices even if they're different from mine. I would very much like the government to please take my money for that purpose, it would be a much better use for it than a lot of other things my tax dollars have been funding lately.