The disabilities series on CBC yesterday featured a story about
women seeking to have abortions because various tests had shown
that the baby would have been born with a disability such as
Down Syndrome.  "Wrongful life" was the reason given for the
abortion.  Aware that they were on thin ice, the commentators
kept making the point that a woman's right to choose must be
protected, "but..."  They came perilously close to saying that
a woman has the right to choose an abortion for any reason
*except* the likelihood of such "disabilities" as Down Syndrome,
neuromuscular disorders, cystic fibrosis, and so on.  What are
your feelings on this issue?

5 responses total.

I know several parents of children with downs syndrome.  They would
not trade the love they share with these children, some of whome
are now young adults, for all the "simplicity" of an abortion.

I also lead a Girl Scout troop with a girl with  Cystic FIbrosis, another
who was born prematurely and could not walk without a walker and wore
extremely thick glasses (you should have seen her participate at a gym
party!) and two deaf girls.  These children all had so much to give to the
world...

 My husband and I agreed long ago, that tho we are both pro-choice
we would not abort a fetus that had a disability such as Down Syndrome.
One reason was we just couldn't say it want good enough, the other
was we could not face our other kids ("Sorry, kids, you just have
to be *perfect* for us to accept you" would have been the unfortunate
message.)

Yet I don't want to judge those who do not have the ability to
bear such a child and care for it or give it up for adoption.
It's such a gut-wrenching personal decision.  I'm pro-choice, even
if I don't like some of other people's choices.

There are degrees of problems future parents face.  My cousin found out at
5+ months that the fetus she carried suffered from a genetic defec and
would be stillborn or at most live only an hour or so if she carried
to term.  I think it had virtually no spinal cord, but she spoke very
little about the problem.  She had a late 2nd term abortion, just 3
days inside the legal limit.  Essentially, she was induced, went into
long labor, and gave birth to a stillborn baby she never saw.  Am I
comfortable with that? no--but I understand the pain of her choice not
to prolong the inevitable conclusion to the pregnancy.

 Having just this week miscarried, I have to say I am grateful , in spite
of my sadness, that Nature did not leave me to bear an infant with no
brain or something else so extremely lacking that the miscarriage avoided. 
Of course, sour grapes....? Or profound ignorance of why miscarriages
occur? 

I think a woman has the right to choose, because ultimately I don't
think it's a living human being she is carying yet.

This response has been erased.

simcha, I am so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

Simcha, ditto MD's message #3. Also admire this discussion.  Admittedly I have
wondered about Mother Nature's way of preserving.....as you described.

Given leglized abortion, and without imposing my personal views, I think
the doctor was guilty of malpractice by not informing the parents.
In fact, even if abortion is illegal, the right to be informed and
prepared for a problem birth is paramount to good prenatal care.
For example, at my local hospital, where one of my friends is a 
neonatologist, the neonatologists want to know in advance if the 
OB/patient is aware that ababy is going to be delivered w/Down Syndrome.
Apparently, they can do much to mitigate complications.

Again w/out arguing the merits of abortion, given enough $, parents
who live where itisn't legal can go to where it is.  Their choice and
conscience.  Not the Dr's place to assume what they would do.

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