I just heard of a test that is taken place during the first trimester of pregnancy which I never heard of before. I find it a bit strange and it just isn’t sitting well with me for some reason.
It’s a test for genetic abnormalities and they do it in the first trimester so that if there is something wrong with the baby, you can have an abortion. It isn’t sitting right with me. I mean I’d probably want to know if I was going to have a severely disabled child but would I abort it? I don’t think so. I mean alot of the times these test say that there is something wrong and then the kid is born perfectly healthy.
I wonder how many pregnancies/abortions do people go through because of these tests? What if they aren’t accurate? I understand that having these tests will allow the parents to become mentally and emotionally prepared for what is coming 9 months later, so they are prepared and know what to expect … but the whole option of having an abortion is what isn’t sitting right with me.
Sounds like borderline gene selection to me. Then again, I’ve never been pregnant so I have no idea what is going through the minds of the parents who make the decision to abort a child cause of the results of these tests.
Does anybody know about these tests? How long have they been doing them for?
i cant really remember any clear cut examples off the top of my head, but when i worked at a hospital, i remember a midwife telling me that they are nesecary for couples who tend to have had children with disabilites or a genetic illness in the family. i think they can test for downs syndrome and stuff like that
they're fairly common.. they happen in pakistan too. i forgot the disease .. i think its aplastic anaemia, where if its caught they recommend aborting the baby.
because u know the child will die very painfully in a specific number of years..
Why do people want to get the tests done? What’s with the curiosity when abortion is not an option? People should cross the bridge when they get there.
The tests that are done are either CVS ("Chorionic Villi Sampling") or Amniocentesis. The results are irrefutable, they check for genetic abnormalities such as Down Syndrome and if something shows up in the test, it is a medical fact, not a speculation. Women are offered these tests most especially when they are in their 30's because they need to know....i mean, the parents are a bit older, they will not live to see their children into old age. Do they have family or friends that would care for a handicapped person? Do they have the funds, patience, ability, desire? What if there is a genetic abnormality that would assure a live birth but a painful and short life? There are so very many more things that can go wrong that its really amazing - and a miracle - when a healthy baby is born. Parents really should be aware of and prepared for a birth that will not be normal and healthy. There are mopre considerations here than just being "blessed". My sis is a nurse in Ped Intensive care and the nightmares she has seen I cant begin to tell you - babies born to suffer for months or a few years and then die. Its a huge responsibilty and one that is so very personal that no one should judge.
only a small nuanciation: these tests are not 100% conclusive, esp in the case of a negative finding. It is possible for a Down to be mosaic and you can miss the 47XY(/X)21 cells and only collect the 46XY(/X) ones.
furthermore, apart from the Down's syndrome, if you're screening for other genetic diseases such tests are certainly not 100% irrefutable.
Nescio, you are right. But when a CVS or Amnio comes back with these results, other tests can/should be done to confirm. Like the nuchal sack size etc. A good doc can confirm a result with ultrasound etc.
The only reason why I brought this topic up is cause my best-friend is expecting. We're the same age (mid-20s) and she has two other children but was never asked to do this test before. Her doctor advised her that it's just a formality and she didn't have to do it. She's also been told that the test results aren't always accurate, which is why they do two tests; the first at I think 11 weeks and the second at 16 weeks. The latest you can have an abortion is 18 weeks which is why they do the second test practically at the last minute.
They do so many tests during pregnancy though, wouldn't any major disability in the child appear in the blood/urine tests or ultrasound?
After 120 days an abortion is without doubt murder, some say 40 days is the most you can push it without murder. Even if I knew the child would die shortly after birth I wouldn't support an abortion.
And Down's Syndrome certainly no reason for murder.
I don’t know how true this is (perhaps people who have already had the test can verify), but this test will show you if the baby will be blind/hearing disability, etc. To me, those aren’t justifiable reasons to abort a baby but the option is there. I’m not judging anybody, this is just my personal opinion.
I quite agree,abortion is a terrible thing to have to faceand I dont think I could do it. aBut thinking about my age, (hubby and I married in our 30s) and "ok so WHO will take on the burden of our children" is quite an eye-opener. Its hard enough to think about these things when the children are able learners and somewhat self sufficient....what about when they have special needs...who of your relatives or friends will want to take it on? You need to consider these things sadly. But what are you forcing upon your relatives? You are more than blessed if you have no worries when you consider this...most of us are not so blessed that we can not worry about these things.
you know that those tests aren't safe. there is a chance that because of the breach of the amniotic fluid and the other stuff, that can induce contractions. i dont know why you would perform a test. i know an example when the parents were told that the baby would be perfectly fine, but he was born severaly mentally disabled, and the boy is without eyes. so, i would say, don't go for it. keep it a surprise. heck, don't even check for the gender with and ultrasound. jo ho ga, woh to ho kay rahay ga.
each human cell normally contains 46 chromosomes; in Down’s syndrome there is an extra chromosome 21 bringing the total to 47. Since not only the embryo but also the placenta and everything is derived from that one fertilized egg, it is rational to get some tissue/cells from the placenta or amnionic fluid and see if those cells contain 46 or 47 chromosomes. However, in a small minority of Down’s syndrome the error causing 47 chromosomes to be in one cell occurs a few steps after fertilization. This will result in the embryo having 47 chromosomes, whereas the other derived tissues still having 46: this will lead to a false-negative result
