Will Babies with Down Syndrome Disappear?

Friday, September 25. 2009

Will Babies with Down Syndrome Disappear?

I feel a rant coming on. Oh here it comes. This piece Will babies with Down syndrome disappear? has all of the elements that simply drive me crazy. From the euphemisms to the pointless open ended questions, this has it all. Where do I begin? How about here:

Pregnant women have access to more prenatal tests than ever before with numerous options available to determine the likelihood of genetic disorders. What if those tests slowly led to fewer babies being born with Down syndrome and if the disorder eventually disappeared?

Let us be honest. Down Syndrome will NEVER disappear. It will always be around. What may "disappear" are the people who have it. Fewer babies being born with Downs does not mean that Downs is being eliminated. Downs just does not "disappear." It means that the babies that have it are being ripped from their mother's wombs and thrown the biohazard waste. I am so tired of modern eugenics being softened by descriptions that dance around the bloody facts.

The other thing that is really bothering me lately is the softball open ended questions that seemingly no one can (or dare) answer. Here is an example:

Skotko also asks a provocative question: does genetic testing go too far?
Where should our professional organizations draw the line? Should expectant parents be able to select out fetuses with an undesired sex? Should fetuses with genes that predispose them to adult breast cancer be prenatally identified? Should couples in the future be supported if they wish to terminate fetuses with genes correlated with sexual preferences? The age is swiftly coming where not all possible technologic advances may bring welcomed change.

I am so over these "provocative questions" that require no more of us then to go "Yeah I guess that would be bad," and then allow us to just go back to business as usual with our heads in the sand.

Wake up people. These "provocative questions" should not be rhetorical. They have answers. Like "Hell no. It is never okay to abort a child just because they are the wrong sex, or they have some genetic predisposition to adult disease, obesity or homosexuality, or whatever else is unfashionable!!!" There is nothing wrong with saying that out loud.

And we should DO SOMETHING about these "provocative questions" NOW. Now before they are no longer just questions but realities. Before eugenics is back in full force and becomes a social requirement. Before genetic engineering and reproductive cloning are part of the fertility industry's arsenal. Before the Brave New World is upon us and we look around and realize we are too late to change it.

Posted by Rebecca Taylor in Genetic Testing at 11:51 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

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"Let us be honest. Down Syndrome will NEVER disappear. It will always be around. What may 'disappear' are the people who have it. Fewer babies being born with Downs does not mean that Downs is being eliminated."

That's it exactly. Just like when people advocate aborting "crack babies" and then act as though they're doing the babies a favor. How about we get rid of the "crack" part without getting rid of the "babies" part?

#1 bmmg39 (Homepage) on 2009-09-25 14:46 (Reply)

What you said.

"Gee, we can't fix this house. Let's burn it down!"

#1.1 Foxfier (Homepage) on 2009-09-26 19:59 (Reply)

Rebecca, I know . . . it's the same old tired this and that. Dr. Skotko is a really good guy -- and a star in his area of expertise - he's got his own niche. Yet, even he us really cautious and understated: I don't understand all the caution. It doesn't buy (and it never has) anyone any points in whatever sphere it is meant to communicate to. Instead, it's like pasting a sign on your forehead that screams, "Don't mind me, I may bark, but I won't give you any trouble."

We need to show them what provocative really means.

#2 Monica Rafie (Homepage) on 2009-09-29 14:10 (Reply)

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