Posted on 09/11/2006 5:29:03 PM PDT by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The President's Council on Bioethics held a meeting last week and members said they are concerned that the advancement of medicine is leading to tests showing disabilities in unborn children that may prompt abortions. Prenatal testing is leading to "eugenic" abortions, several members of the panel said.
The panel called the information gathered from such prenatal testing "toxic knowledge" because such a high percentage of pregnancies involving disabled babies end in abortion.
Dr. William Hurlbut, a biology professor at Stanford University, called such information "learning more than you want to or more than you can handle," according to a Catholic News Service report,
Hurlbut added that parents who find out their unborn children have a physical or mental disability can develop depression and psychiatric disorders. Some parents even consider suicide, he said, according to CNS.
He also said that prenatal testing paves the way for genetic thinking where people began trying to eliminate less than desirable traits in their family.
"It's the flavor-of-the-month preference for what people can look like," he said.
Meanwhile, Nancy Wexler, clinical psychology professor at Columbia University in New York, gave a presentation on experiences as a carrier of the Huntington's disease gene.
She said that she has been involved in creating guidelines that prenatal testing not be done unless the parents are considering an abortion, CNS reported. She said that miscarriages and congenital abnormalities can develop from the tests.
Members of the committee said the prenatal genetic testing may rob the unborn child of the rights to decide for themselves about their own health care when tested prenatally without their consent.
Wexler agreed and said that unborn children's rights are violated "since a child thus born with the gene defect cannot elect not to take the test upon reaching majority."
"It's the flavor-of-the-month preference for what people can look like," he said.
If this is allowed to continue, parents will be killing their babies over eye color.
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Of course, killing your baby for convenience is just fine.
"If this is allowed to continue, parents will be killing their babies over eye color."
According to who? Those people who abort babies over eye color should not be "allowed to" procreate. Trying to blame a technology(that can have many benefits) is just ridiculous. Blame people, not tools.
I dread when insurance companies start pressuring the use of this sort of thing, and paying off their sponsors in government to look after thier wishes.
Unfortunately, in some people's quest for perfect; this will happen. I am glad to hear there are those who care.
The issue arises due to people aborting their kids for whatever reason. The rest is just the flavor of the month...
I stopped supporting March of Dimes years ago because of their policy of recommending abortion to parents after prenatal testing showed possible birth defects. I guess that's their way to help prevent birth defects, don't let anyone be born with one.
Unless, or until they change that as an official policy, they ain't getting my dime!
How do they think the March of Dimes has 'reduced birth defects in children'? It's been through encouraging parents to have amniocentisis done, then further encouraging them not to go through the burden of bringing a disabled or retarded child into the world. That's the major reason they haven't received a dime from me in the last 25 years.
GMTA. I didn't see your post until after I'd posted mine.
"I stopped supporting March of Dimes years ago because of their policy of recommending abortion to parents after prenatal testing showed possible birth defects."
I'm glad you corroborated that. Someone called me on the phone from the March of Dimes for a contribution, and they said they don't advocate abortions when I told them why I wouldn't contribute.
************
I had no idea. I suspect there are many like me, who thought that the reduction was because of medical advances due to research which might otherwise have been impossible without the funding of the March of Dimes. If this is true, it is a gross deception on the part of the MOD organization.
"The President's Council on Bioethics held a meeting last week and members said they are concerned that the advancement of medicine is leading to tests showing disabilities in unborn children that may prompt abortions. Prenatal testing is leading to "eugenic" abortions, several members of the panel said. "
God save us, this has been going on for years. Search-and-destroy missions to murder children with disabilities.
No, we haven't. Instead, we've contributed to a local problem pregnancy clinic over the last 18 years and also helped them buy an ultrasound machine. We've also fostered 6 kids through Christian Childrens Fund over the last 30 years. Does that satisfy you?
We each help in our own ways.
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