Comments on: Prenatal Genetic Testing and Lots of Questions

By: The Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act

The Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:39:53 +0000

[...] tests to identify autism in younger and younger children being developed—and even the possibility [...]

By: momof4

momof4 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:12:53 +0000

I refused any testing past the basic ultrasounds on all my kids. I would never have aborted, and as my OB said, why get it if it won’t affect the outcome? From reading other websites and blogs, I can honestly say the picture I get now is that it’s seen as irresponsible by most people to give birth to a down syndrome child. That you should have known better, and aborted. Drain on society, rough on your family, the kid suffers (what kid doesn’t???) etc etc. I have no doubt that such will also occur for every “disease” we gain the ability to test for. Eugenics is pernacious and sneaky, and will slip in through the smallest crack in medical diagnostic abilities.

By: National Screening Halves Number of Children Born With Down

National Screening Halves Number of Children Born With Down — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:45:50 +0000

[...] births. “It seems to show that more parents are thinking more carefully before opting for prenatal screening and termination – that being born with Down’s syndrome is being seen in a different light [...]

By: Births of Down’s Syndrome Children Up in the UK

Births of Down’s Syndrome Children Up in the UK — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:10:02 +0000

By: New Method For Genetic Screening in ASDs

New Method For Genetic Screening in ASDs — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:01:26 +0000

[...] time you say genetic testing, some people automatically think of pre-natal testing,” Buxbaum said. “This is more about giving an etiological diagnosis to children with [...]

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:59:31 +0000

We did some genetic testing, the quad screen. No amnio, no CVS. Level II u/s were also done for each pregnancy. I wouldn’t have aborted–these tests are done at 16 weeks at the earliest–but I wanted some testing so that I would better be able to prepare myself if there were anything for which I could try to prepare (we can never REALLY be prepared, no matter what). And had I known any of what I know about any of my children, I would have had them anyway, both a priori and a posteriori.

By: What Did You Do When You Were Expecting?

What Did You Do When You Were Expecting? — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:21:25 +0000

[...] considered prenatal genetic testing and autism, what about the possible influence of the environment of the womb on a developing baby? [...]

By: Another Laura

Another Laura — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:20:34 +0000

Speaking from personal experience, I’m quite certain of two things: (i) if my fetus tested positive for a predisposition to autism, I would have aborted; and (ii) such an abortion would have been, without question, the biggest mistake of my life.

By: alyric

alyric — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:43:17 +0000

Seems there are three sorts of genetic associations for autism – associations that are rare in the autistic population, associations that are frankly baffling because they are common in the general population and de novo mutations. Genetic testing isn’t going to catch the last one, though the second sort may be ‘fixed’ on the basis that having five out of ten carries a certain risk. Naturally, that risk is inflated.

I’ve always thought that particularly with the second sort, the commonest genetic association with autism that if they came up with an estimated risk and scared enough parents into aborting, that what they’d end up with is very indifferent kids. People tend to forget that autism, absent mental retardation, is as much characterised by potentially beneficial traits as by deficits. Look at the parents.

Ofr course if you worship at the altar of interpersonal skills, then indifferent but socially able kids might be entirely satisfactory.

By: Another Voice

Another Voice — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:35:15 +0000

I fear the prenatal test for autism. I feel it will result in the abortion of unborn children who show any signs of autism. The prenatal test for Down Syndrome has resulted in far fewer births of children with Downs; some numbers reflect a ninety percent abortion rate for those with a high probability of downs.

Given the horror story that has been painted of autism by certain very loud factions within the autism community, the drop in live births of children with indications of autism could exceed the drop we are seeing with Down.