Downs Syndrome and Abortion.

As a teenager I knew a woman who worked with handicapped children and then had a Down's baby herself. He was a gorgeous little boy but she decided that she couldn't cope with one of he own and his grandparents took him.

Does anyone remember a novel published in the 60s about a woman with a Down's baby? I can't remember the title or author but it was based on her own experiences and the woman was insisting on giving up her baby because, although she loved him, there was so little help available to herif she kept him. I wonder if much has changed today?

Totally conflicted, what quality of life is subjective.

It is hard to contemplate that abortion is legal at term. I cannot think what is to be said about this. Surely this is not enshrined in law.

Abortion is only legal up to 24 weeks.
After that date can only be carried out legally if the mother’s life is at risk or a child will be born severely disabled.
As has been previously mentioned only about 0.1% of all terminations are carried out over this date., and mostly to women over 35years.
I wouldn’t like to judge any women who finds herself with this terrible dilemma of having to abort a foetus at a later stage of pregnancy.

Thanks newmom for your post. The likelihood of a termination at 39 weeks is beyond rare.

You have always been able to terminate until term in the case of disability, it isn't a new thing.

One of my children has a severe disability which sounds very similar to Wyllow's grandchild and I'm uncomfortable with the rights of an unborn child being put before that of the woman who is carrying the child. I love my child very much but everything has been a battle, fighting against authorities is harder than coping with the disability but you have to do it, otherwise they receive inadequate education, care and health input. No one even cares about it either, if they did changes would have been made to make people's lives easier and less than stressful than they already are. It is always (generally) Mothers and women who bear the emotional brunt of all of it too

Many babies are born at 24 weeks duration and survive and do well. I think that is far too late to murder. They should take a long hard look at what is happening now and how they are able to save very prem babies. My granddaughter was very prem and she is now a healthy 17 year old and top of her year level in most subjects. I hate to think of her being murdered at birth.

This is an extremely emotive subject, and it is worth noting that the young lady with Downs, Heidi Crowter, was represented by lawyers with connections to fundamentalist right wing Christians according to a report by Jo Maugham of Good Law Project.

Due to my age, I had an amniocentesis test when pregnant with my DD after pre -tests showed a high risk of Downs Syndrome. Longest 10 days of our lives waiting for the results which were happily negative. I can't imagine what our lives would be like now with a 25 year old Downs adult, and the worry of what would happen when we die.

No one is murdering babies at birth. Prem babies receive absolutely the very best care possible once they are born. The decision a woman takes to terminate a pregnancy at any point should be hers and hers alone. It must be a heart breaking decision to take and no woman should be condemned for deciding that the quality of life for the baby she is carrying is not acceptable to her. Sometimes the most caring thing to do is to accept that life isn't possible.

I have worked with adults with Downs Syndrome. They are the most innocent and loving people I have ever met...and a joy to be around. I consider that it was a privilege to interact with them. Thy enriched my life and opened my heart.

There is a programme on BBC just now with the two main characters being Downs. They are part of our community. Other babies are born with other difficult things going on health wise.

But I respect that it is a hard job being a parent of a Downs child so I would never criticise a decision to not go ahead. But that is murdering a child if parents have waited till just before birth. There are many opportunities to have tests done during pregnancy.

I think this law is absolutely wrong and inhumane.

this is the case btw as I was confused as to how it was a new law

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/25/heidi-crowter-woman-downs-syndrome-loses-court-of-appeal-abortion-law-case

There are lots of conditions that cause profound disabilities that cannot be detected until 30+ weeks in pregnancy and obviously disabilities that cannot be detected at all.

What those who have brought this case have done is to present it in a way that most people would have qualms about.

By presenting it as babies aborted at birth , the picture in most people’s mind is of a viable full term baby who is killed before it is born.

This isn’t what happens in reality. The cut off age for termination is 24 weeks. In very exceptional circumstances such as the foetus is dying in the womb or will not survive after birth termination can be carried out later. There was a case in Ireland of a mother who died because she could not only brain a legal abortion of a dying foetus.

The family concerned in this case are opposed to termination of any kind. I respect their right to hold that point of view but I deplore the trickery of “termination at birth” in order to raise an outcry in public opinion.

could not obtain

Too much of a generalisation Philippa111 people with Downs have different personalities and problems just like everyone else.
Of late there have been a lot of people with Downs in the media one way and another. However they all function well, a lot of other people with Downs have a greater degree of learning impairment and other allied health conditions. Its not at all clear cut when you just say Down Syndrome.

If only this world wasn't so hard to navigate when you are less than able and healthy

Plenty of posters realize the challenges of having health issues, dependency on others to live independently....

Imagine a lifetime of challenges and not everybody will make the same choices

It’s unfair and inflammatory to talk as though ‘murdering babies at birth’ has somehow been normalised or even legalised. It has not.
This is a difficult issue I thank the Judges fir their calm considered counsel

But that is murdering a child if parents have waited till just before birth. There are many opportunities to have tests done during pregnancy

Does anyone honestly think someone who is carrying a baby with abnormalities waits deliberately until the 39th week before terminating? Who on Earth would do that, with all the discomforts of late pregnancy and the stress of knowing that such an awful experience lay ahead?

Walk a mile in their shoes before judging.

Well said SueDonim

Some posters on MN aren’t very complimentary to Heidi.
There view is that she’s made the case all about her.

Good post SueDonim

A friend of mine who has a Downs son, now aged about 30, says that if she had known for certain he was going to be Downs she would have had a termination. For some reason she didn’t have all available tests.

Spot on SueDonim.

SueDonim

^But that is murdering a child if parents have waited till just before birth. There are many opportunities to have tests done during pregnancy^

Does anyone honestly think someone who is carrying a baby with abnormalities waits deliberately until the 39th week before terminating? Who on Earth would do that, with all the discomforts of late pregnancy and the stress of knowing that such an awful experience lay ahead?

Walk a mile in their shoes before judging.

I have searched and searched for any record of this scenario in Britain and it does not exist.

The only occurrences I have been able to find is where a foetus sadly becomes nonviable. In some cases the foetus can survive for longer using the mothers body but cannot survive on its own, such as when the brain has failed to develop.
In other cases the vital organs of the foetus have not developed or are non functioning.

As I said earlier the argument has been misrepresented to stir up public opinion.

It clearly has stirred up public opinion, and it concerns me that this kind of publicity will encourage lobbying for further restriction in abortion services in this country, as has happened in some States in America.
I think U.K. law has the right balance.

It’s a pity that most of those who express outrage haven’t found out why termination in later pregnancy actually happens.

Compelling a woman to continue with a nonviable foetus is distressing at best and at worst can result in sepsis and death of the mother.