The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 10, No.
2 -- April 22, 2011
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Editor's Note
New
medical technologies, including a new test for Down Syndrome, have
increased the ability of doctors to test for disabilities and genetic
disorders before birth. Parents usually see these tests as a way to
assure themselves that their unborn child will be healthy. Medical
professionals and scientists, on the other hand, often see the tests as
a tool to find and eliminate "defects" through abortion.
The
article below is the first in a three-part series on prenatal testing
and abortion. Part 1 looks at what available research reveals about the
impact of eugenic abortion on parents and families. Other parts will
discuss how
pressure and coercion from the medical community are often used to bring
about these abortions, stories from those who've been there, and what we can do to help parents who are facing
a negative prenatal diagnosis.
We also
want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to
our recent emergency fundraising appeal. Your support is making all the
difference! But, we still need help. If you haven't already done so,
please consider making a donation (and a second contribution is always
welcome!).
Visit here to make an online donation or find out how to donate by
phone or mail.
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Prenatal Testing and Abortion, Part I
The Impact on Parents and Families
"In
advanced industrial countries, prenatal testing in order to detect fetal
abnormalities has become routine," as researchers Elizabeth Ring Cassidy
and Ian Gentles note below. In many cases, it is assumed -- even
expected -- that diagnosis of a disability or genetic disorder will lead
the parents to abort the pregnancy and "try again."
Parents
of children with Down Syndrome or other syndromes may be asked why they
didn't "get the test" or why they continued the pregnancy after
receiving a negative diagnosis. The answer many parents would give --
that their children deserve life, and that they bring
love and joy to their families -- flies in the face of widely held
assumptions that children with disabilities are "less worthy" or bound
to be suffering and unwanted. Further, many people remain unaware of
evidence showing that abortion after prenatal testing not only ends the
life of the unborn child, but may also negatively impact the parents and
other family members as well.
Most
recently, a
study of women who experienced serious complications during
pregnancy found that women who underwent second or third trimester
abortions due to fetal anomalies were more likely to experience
psychiatric disorders compared to women who gave birth prematurely.
Continue reading (and leave feedback)...
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