A Question of Morality Down Syndrome abortion

Humans value perfection. We tend to look for it in every aspect of our lives, but the truth is that humans are not perfect; not even close to it. The search for perfection sometimes can lead people to act in ways that might be considered premature. Taking this into consideration, the question that needs to be answered is whether or not it is fair or even moral, to value only perfection when we are not perfect ourselves. Nowadays, this unfairness is especially evident when it comes to Down Syndrome fetuses. Most of the time theses undeveloped babies do not even get the opportunity to be born; they are not perfect. Many parents do not expect their child to be born in such a way. It is important to recognize that it is not ethical to abort fetuses with Down Syndrome. The prenatal tests are dangerous, Down Syndrome is not a death sentence, for there are always other options besides abortion. Down syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a congenital condition that results in mental retardation and morphological defects (Mosby's). This condition results, most of the times, from the occurrence of a mutation in the 21st chromosome, which causes the appearance of a third chromosome. In very rare circumstances, DS is caused by the translocation of chromosome 14 or 15 and chromosome 21 or 22 (Mosby's). Translocation of a chromosome is when a segment of the chromosome is moved to a different part of the genome. According to a clinical practice, done on children with DS, this condition is one of the most common abnormalities in newborn babies. Ten out of a thousand babies are diagnosed . This number has increased in recent years and is especially high in countries like Ireland and United Arab Emirates where abortion is illegal

(Weijerman). There is a higher risk of a child developing DS when the mother is older. However, in recent years it has been found that mothers under thirty-five can also have children with DS. In fact, according to the National Down Syndrome Society eighty percent of DS children have younger mothers (NDSS). When it comes to the consideration of the abortion of fetuses with Down Syndrome, there are a lot of important facts that must be taken into consideration. One being that antenatal tests for Down Syndrome can be very dangerous for the fetus' health or even induce miscarriage (Jean). The first part of the testing is a non-invasive examination that can be done simply through a blood test or an ultrasound. It consists basically in determining if there is a risk factor; the risk factor is calculated based on a "normal" blood testing (Encyclopedia ; Leshin). The dangerous part comes after. If a risk factor is detected, the fetuss chromosomes have to be examined for an accurate diagnosis and this can only be done through an invasive procedure (Lesish). Two commonly used procedures, both very invasive, are Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). The first procedure requires amniotic fluid to be collected, which is done through the insertion of a needle through the mother's abdominal wall into the uterus; this fluid has fetal cells so it can be used to examine the fetus chromosomes (Lenish). The second procedure requires a small portion of the young placenta to be taken. Both procedures increase the risk of miscarriage, and therefore should not be performed if ethics is considered. It is not right to do such procedures when the baby's health is in stake in order for one to avoid having a baby with DS an imperfect baby. Another fact, Down Syndrome is not a death sentence. When the parents decide to go through with abortion they are sentencing the unborn child to death.

Statistics show that 90 percent of all babies that are diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) are aborted (Jean). Such a high percentage of abortions show how out of control this situation is. People with Down Syndrome may have a harder time learning what "normal" kids seem to learn so easily and be susceptible to more health problems, but there is a lot that one can do; Leah Stodden is an example of this ability. She was born with Down Syndrome, yet it has not stopped her. She has been playing piano since she was six years old. It has given her the opportunity to travel to multiple places throughout the United States. Furthermore, she has appeared in many magazines and newspapers and has even participated in beauty and talent pageants with "normal" kids. In one of those pageants she was chosen as a finalist from a pull of future "super-models" (NDSS). Further evidence that DS does not mean death is that in the last couple of decades the life span has increased from twenty-five years in 1983 to sixty years (NDSS). Many people with DS are capable of going to school, working and making decisions for themselves. That might even include getting married, like David and Monica, a couple with DS (James). This couple breaks the stereotype that people with DS cannot have a life as normal as any "normal" person because they where born in a year were the life expectancy for them was only twenty-five years of age and now they are forty. Finally, there are the options to aborting the fetuses that are probably the most important facts because they are alternatives to ending a life. There are two options that can be considered: contact a local DS organization and with their help see and learn firsthand how it is to have a child with DS (History). Adoption is another important option because there will always be someone that can see the DS babies as the precious stones they are when the parents did not. Overall, the

important thing is that premature decisions are not made and that the parents try not to be prejudice. Some people say that the parents that decide to keep their babies have a lot of work ahead of them, with little or no support from the government. In these circumstances they believe abortion is the best option since the cost of "avoiding the birth of a baby with Down Syndrome" is much lower than the lifetime care cost (Malone). They go on to state that the testing is expensive, but it does not reach the cost of caring for a person with Down syndrome for the rest of their life. Parents raising DS children might have had a lot of problems before because there was little or no support. Now, parents have a lot of support and information available. One example is the National Down Syndrome Society. It was created in 1979 and raises the publics awareness, assists families in the catering for kids with DS and sponsors a lot of research on Down Syndrome (Paul). NDSS is one of the many organizations dedicated to making the life of people with DS and their families easier in every aspect possible and in promoting the need for more research. Every single one of these organizations sees the potential that the babies have. Every child that is born has so much potential. The fact that kids with Down Syndrome have more difficulty doing things does not mean that someday they will not become a great inspiration to others. I understand that everyone has the right to make their own decisions, but when 90% of all DS pregnancies end up in abortions, we have to ask ourselves if it is still the exertion of free will or simply selective breeding. The answer to this is YES. the number of abortions is too high for it to be considered anything else. The best part of life diversity and people with DS are just that, different. So, it would not be ethical to abort babies with DS.

There is still a lot of research going on. While that is still a fact, there will always be hope and a future for people with Down Syndrome.

Annotated Bibliography
Cari, Jean. "Aborting Down Syndrome Babies." HubPages. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://hubpages.com/hub/Please-Dont-Abort-Your-Imperfect-Baby>. Cari evaluates the Down Syndrome abortion situation and the fight against it. She starts by stating the statistics for the abortions of DS babies and quotes the answers of a couple of people on the subject. She goes on to explain what Down Syndrome is and the various prenatal tests to diagnose it. Cari's article is a useful source, and contrary to the other sources in my bibliography, it provides actual numbers. These numbers are an important component of my argument because I can use them to show just how many

DS fetuses do not get to be born. "Down syndrome." Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 22 November 2010. This source provides me with a definition of DS that is very important to better understand the DS and its implications on the people who have it. "Down Syndrome Abortion." History of Down Syndrome and It's Treatment: Don't Be Disheartened, It's Getting Better All the Time. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.cdadc.com/ds/down-syndrome-abortion.html>. This article analyzes the abortion of Down Syndrome kids by providing a brief introduction on DS and then discussing the research that has been done on Down Syndrome. At the end, alternatives to abortion are provided. The main arguments are that parents are highly influenced by the doctor negative perspective and that people never know if they will be able to conceive again. The website is a very useful source because it provides alternatives to abortion and contains reliable information because it is written by doctors. This source is biased in some parts but it successfully reaches its goal of persuading readers against abortion of DS fetuses. "Down Syndrome: Antenatal Screening." Encyclopedia of the Human Genome. Hoboken: Wiley, 2003. Credo Reference. Web. 22 November 2010. This source enumerates the various types of prenatal tests for DS diagnosis and their implications. It is helpful for my essay because it provides an overall view of the different antenatal DS screening examinations.

Down Syndrome Fact Sheet. National Down Syndrome Society. Web. 7 November 2010. JAMES, SUSAN D. "Down Syndrome Couples Marry, Live Longer, Face Questions of Sex and Children - ABC News." ABCNews.com - ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Politics, World News, Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews ABC News. 13 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/syndrome-couples-marrylive-longer-face-questions-sex/story?id=11862336>. James's article discusses the marriage of a couple with Down Syndrome and analyzes some social and health difficulties that the couple might face. The article is a useful an reliable source because it is based on information gathered from organizations like NDSS(National Down Syndrome Society). It is useful for the construction of my essay because it can be used to provide evidence that people with DS can have a normal life. Leshin, Len. "Prenatal Testing for Down Syndrome." Down Syndrome: Health Issues - Medical Essays and Information. 2007. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ds-health.com/prenatal.htm>. Leshin's article evaluates prenatal testing for DS. It starts by explaining what Down Syndrome is and then goes on to enumerating what the risk factors are. His main arguments are that not all the pregnancies should be examined the same way. Leshin's article is a useful and reliable source because he is an MD. The source is not biased because it is made up of scientific facts. This source is helpful for my essay because it strengthens my argument that Down abortion is not ethical because if the fetuses should be aborted very

dangerous examinations have to be performed. Malone, Brendan. "Official Report to NZ Government Says That Screening and Aborting Down Syndrome Babies Is an Effective Cost Saving Tool Semper Vita." Semper Vita. 19 May 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://familylifenz.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/official-report-to-nzgovernment-says-that-screening-and-aborting-down-syndrome-babies-is-aneffective-cost-saving-tool/>. Malone's article discusses a report from the National Screening Unit (NSU) to the New Zealand government on DS abortions. The article is useful because it makes evident one of the possible main arguments of the opposition, people who believe that abortion is the best action considering the difficulties that raising a baby with DS would bring. Press Materials - My Great Story of the Week. National Down Syndrome Society. Web. 7 November 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Weijerman, Michel E., and J. Peter Winter. Clinical Practice; The care for children with Down Syndrome. European Journal of Pediatrics 169.12 (2010): 144st. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 November 2010.