Over the last 5 years, 100 percent of pregnant women aware of Down’s syndrome in their unborn babies have chosen to terminate. We are developing the technology to spot disabilities in unborn babies- but how good is this really? Yes, this could help us to eradicate disability as a whole but is this what we really want?
Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by a third copy of chromosome 21. 60,000 people in the UK are living with Down’s syndrome, however this number is rapidly declining due to new technology. In the last 10 years, the number of Down’s syndrome terminations has gone up by 40 percent. At a pregnant woman’s 12 week scan, hearing their baby has this disability can be their worst fear come true, but very few people look on the good side of Down’s.
However, many Down’s sufferers have gone on to achieve incredible things. For example, Chelsea Werner became a four-time national champion in gymnastics. She overcame all odds to get to where she is today. Another example is Bernadette Resha. She is a successful artist with Down’s. She is also a violinist. It is people such as Werner and Resha that prove Down’s syndrome doesn’t always stop you from achieving what you want to achieve.
On the other hand, there are many extreme cases which may lead parents to terminate pregnancies. Many Down’s sufferers don’t walk until 5 and some studies have shown they have shorter lives. It is these statistics that may lead a mother to terminate her pregnancy and do what she believes is best for the child’s happiness- how can a child be happy if they never had the chance to live?
Some mothers choose not to know if their unborn child has Down’s. This is more common in parents who already have a child who suffers from Down’s syndrome. Mothers are strongly advised by doctors to have these tests and many mothers feel pressured into them. One mother was even told ‘she’s cute, but you don’t want another like that.’ This, for a mother, can be heart-breaking.
Soon, we may be living in a world without Down’s syndrome. New technology allows us to predict disabilities in unborn babies so they can be prevented. However, Down’s syndrome does not change who a person is. We will soon have technology to predict appearance as well as gender and disability. Could this lead to a race of ‘designer’ babies? If we allow selective abortion to be taken too far, mothers may terminate pregnancies due to gender or appearance. We need to draw a line somewhere and mothers need to be educated about what they are really doing by preventing an unborn baby’s right to life. Is a world without Down’s syndrome really a reality we want to experience?
