Downs Syndrome and Abortion.

It must be heartbreaking to be in that situation. I listened to the young lady’s interview on the radio earlier.

WWM2 that’s crazy. It is a form of infanticide. There are plenty of opportunities to test for Downs way before term. This is a dangerous path to tread.

Yes it must be Blossoming But
Abort a full term baby? A terrible thing.
For the word abort, substitute kill.I think it is so wrong.

Wrong on every level.

25Avalon that’s exactly what I thought! It’s not abortion, it’s murder.

GrannyGravy13

Wrong on every level.

completely awful, it just doesn't bear thinking about... Surely it would be better to have this baby adopted as she will have to give birth... is this even legal?

You can abort up to 24 weeks for any reason in the Uk ( apart from NI )
I personally couldn’t do it but some women do.

Unfortunately it is the law pascal30. Heidi Crowter, who is Down’s, is campaigning for the law to be changed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-63744073

Does anyone actually know what happens to the baby?

The clinicians are surely not allowed by law to kill it?

The whole thing is an utter nightmare.

I’m afraid I don’t WWM2.

Surely by that stage, you would have had enough tests to know. It does seem odd and leaving the way open for lots of other reasons for a late termination.
Also, how would they abort it ? Would the woman have to go through labour or have a c-section in both cases the baby would probably be alive? What would have to be done to it and who would be willing to?

Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks unless there is a risk the baby will have such mental or physical condition as to be born severely disabled. This is the current law Heidi Crowter wanted amended but the judge refused to amend it so it stands. Idk about anyone else but I never realised this. One step away from child euthanasia.

How can it be legal to kill a live human being?

There are a lot of other syndromes that a baby can be born with, what about that?

It seems to me to be the thin edge of the wedge.

What I would say however, is that having worked with severely disabled children in the past the stress and work involved for the parents is enormous, and if the law is changed that ensures that more children survive, we must be prepared to put in proper resources throughout the child’s life.

I personally couldn’t do it, but I have sympathy and empathy for any woman who finds herself in this heartbreaking situation.
I’m glad this appeal has been lost.
Women’s rights need protecting.

There’s a very long thread on mumsnet about this, & I tend to agree with this/

How arrogant of people to want to restrict women’s heartbreaking choices because they feel indulgently ‘uncomfortable’ with them (but of course, wouldn’t have the responsibility of potentially bringing up a child with significant needs themselves). As early as possible, as late as necessary.

What is said about a full term foetus that is “aborted”?

So yes the right to choice is ideal.

Maybe the baby aborted at full term- is there such a thing? - goes into care?

I need more information on this before ready to comment - there are too many "what if's" and "well then whats".

Surely an abortion anywhere near full term must be extremely rare. I do know of someone who had one - or rather perhaps an induced labour - at 7 months, but that was because it was found out quite late that the baby had some condition that meant it would live only for a few hours, if that. It was utterly heartbreaking for the parents, who however did get to hold him for a very short while before he died.

That’s what I am hoping is the case, that the foetus is not expected to live.

But undoubtedly there are some aborted who survive against the odds.

But saying that the only apparent proviso was that the foetus was suffering from Down’s syndrome and most are born perfectly viable.

The law hasnt changed, it was an appeal to change the current law which applies to a range of conditions.

I asked the question on MN - the reply - it is killed before it is induced.

Oh dear I don’t think I can absorb that very easily.

Isn’t it obvious that’s what happens?

I’ve never been more grateful for the hide function
Love to all who have been in this predicament, one way or another