Free Republic

Zachary Diamond and Angie Nunes look at their "wonderfully healthy" 6-month-old son Solomon, knowing they might have terminated the pregnancy — all because of a popular prenatal test that was wrong. The Portland, Oregon, couple was encouraged to use a new noninvasive blood test that their doctor said was "99 percent" accurate in predicting chromosomal abnormalities. The test revealed the fetus had Trisomy 18 or Edwards syndrome, a painful genetic condition that is nearly always fatal, and their doctor told them to prepare for the worst. "If you google Trisomy 18, your heart will just shatter with the prognosis," Diamond,...

Scientists recently announced that they are perfecting a maternal blood test that will permit technologists to map the entire genome of the developing fetus. Unlike amniocentesis, which requires the insertion of a needle into the womb to obtain amniotic fluid, the test would come earlier in the pregnancy and put the fetus at no risk—unless that is, it reveals unwanted genetic conditions or propensities. In such cases, the fetus’s very life would suddenly be at material and immediate risk. In a culture in which all people are valued equally regardless of their health or capacities, fetal genetic testing would be...

There is an ugly statistic made well known by none other than The New York Times from a 2007 article; 90 percent of all pregnancies where the unborn child is given a diagnosis of Down Syndrome end in abortion. Can you wrap your head around that? 9 in 10; 90 in 100 – that is a lot of life snuffed out because of the possibility of one pesky extra chromosome.Have you ever met a child with Down Syndrome or with other special needs? I have met plenty of them. If fact, one of my own children has special needs. We...

LifeNews.com Note: This editorial is a combination of two pieces. One comes from Rev. Robert Fleischmann, the national director of Christian Life Resources. The second piece comes from Michael R. Klatt, the president and CEO of the Lutheran Home Association which provides residential programs for disabled people.Prenatal testing, originally designed as a precautionary measure to identify potential problems in the early stages of pregnancy, allowed for corrective measures to be taken to ensure a healthier pregnancy and child. With the legalization of abortion in the United States in 1973, the testing took on a more sinister purpose.Some of these...

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, May 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an age when abortion on demand is the norm, and when doctors routinely advise pregnant mothers to abort children found to have genetic abnormalities, parents who choose to give birth to handicapped children are becoming less common. These days it takes a special type of courage to ignore the advice of physicians, friends, and public sentiment, and to embrace the sacrifices that come with bringing a seriously handicapped child into the world.  Eliot Mooney was one such child. Despite being diagnosed 30 weeks into pregnancy with the typically fatal condition Trisomy...

DETROIT — Sarah Itoh, a self-described “almost-eleven-and-a-half,” betrayed no trace of nervousness as she told a roomful of genetic counselors and obstetricians about herself one recent afternoon. She likes to read, she said. Math used to be hard, but it is getting easier. She plays clarinet in her school band. She is a junior girl scout and an aunt, and she likes to organize, so her room is very clean. Last year, she won three medals in the Special Olympics. “I am so lucky I get to do so many things,” she concluded. “I just want you to know, even...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading national doctors' group is suggesting that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered the chance to have prenatal testing for the birth defect known as Down syndrome. However, tests showing disabilities in unborn children may prompt more abortions. This week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is recommending more testing saying that less invasive tests than the standard amniocentesis are now available. Some tests can determine as early as the first trimester of pregnancy whether a baby has Down syndrome. The group published a new set of guidelines in the January edition...

For years the March of Dimes (MOD) has been boycotted by pro-life groups for its involvement in the abortion industry. Unfortunately, many well-meaning pro-life citizens continue to support MOD, not knowing one of the group's methods of preventing what it calls "Birth Defects" is to promote abortion.MOD was one of the major forces behind the development and widespread use of amniocentesis in the second trimester of pregnancy. Amniocentesis is a test commonly used to determine if an unborn child has a congenital abnormality, knowledge of which can facilitate the decision to abort "defective" children. Pat Robertson of CBN and the...