Prenatal test says Down’s – would you believe it?

It may be hard to believe, but apparently almost one in five women who get the news that the baby they’re carrying has Down’s syndrome don’t believe it. I know many people would ask "why have the genetic testing if you’re not going to do anything about it if the tests show an abnormality," but that’s often answered with explanations of wanting to know ahead of time to prepare. My question more would be, "why would you have the test if you don’t believe the results?" Denial?

Testing for genetic disorders, like Down’s syndrome, are fairly easy to get in the developed world. It was thought that once women were able to tell if their children had these genetic abnormalities, that there would be more decisions to terminate the pregnancies, to have abortions. But, according to an article on BBC News, Down’s births rise despite tests, this isn’t happening.

The article tells of a survey done with 1000 parents. They were asked why they went ahead with their pregnancy despite being told their child had tested positive for Down’s. The article said, "A fifth said they had known somebody with Down’s, a third cited religious or anti-abortion beliefs and 30% felt life had improved for people with Down’s. Almost one in five said they simply did not believe the results of the test. Most respondents said they felt supported by their family and friends and considered that the future was far better today for those with Down’s syndrome."

I think I’ve mentioned this before, maybe I haven’t. I have a brother with Down’s. He’s 31 years old now and probably has the mental capacity of a 5 year old. He’s not my biological brother. He came to our family when he was 3 months old after having been abandoned and he just never left. He is a sweetie, a complete sweetie, who needs a lot of love and supervision.

He stayed with my own family here for a month a couple of years ago, when both my parents were hospitalized at the same time. And, to tell you the truth, he exhausted me. He takes care of himself physically and he does so very well. He even has a part time job at a local daycare where he cleans toys and other things. He adores his job and he’s been doing it for years now. After a month of staying with us, he was able to go home. I missed him, but I also needed the break.

My parents and I have discussed what will happen to him when they die. We all agree that he won’t come live with my family full time, but he’s more than welcome to stay with us on some weekends, at holidays, and even just for dinner sometimes. I think that having him in our lives, especially with the month he stayed with us, taught my own family a few things. There was one evening when my daughter and I were having a disagreement. Unknown to me, my brother went upstairs to speak with her later, telling her that she shouldn’t speak to me that way. I don’t know who was more shocked, my daughter or me!

In my work as a nurse, I’ve worked with disabled children, and while all have their special and unique personalities, there’s something very special about children and adults with Down’s syndrome. So, part of me is pleased to read that the expected abortions aren’t happening. While children – and adults – with Down’s syndrome will always be limited in what they can do and the extent of the limitations range widely from person to person, they bring such a richness to life. They bring a special something to life that can’t be gotten anywhere else.

~~~~

Tags: pregnancy blog, down’s syndrome, genetic abnormality, genetic testing, prenatal testing, prenatal test