Routine Screening of Unborn Could Lead More Abortions

[Flopper]

Scientists could soon be able to routinely screen unborn babies for thousands of genetic conditions, raising concerns the breakthrough could lead to more abortions.

A team has been able to predict the whole genetic code of a foetus by taking a blood sample from a woman who was 18 weeks pregnant, and a swab of saliva from the father.
They believe that, in time, the test will become widely available, enabling doctors to screen unborn babies for some 3,500 genetic disorders.

This breakthrough opens up all kinds of ethical consideration. Knowing the problem before the child is born can lead to prenatal and newborn treatments. On the other hand, knowing the child will be born with serious birth defects or a high probability of a number of fatal diseases could lead to more abortions. Just having the test could be a hard decision for many. This will surely raise both political and legal questions.

At the moment the only genetic disorder routinely tested for is Down’s syndrome. However, simple tests for other genetic disorders are just around the corner.

Unborn babies could be tested for 3,500 genetic faults - Telegraph

 

[Peach]

Scientists could soon be able to routinely screen unborn babies for thousands of genetic conditions, raising concerns the breakthrough could lead to more abortions.

A team has been able to predict the whole genetic code of a foetus by taking a blood sample from a woman who was 18 weeks pregnant, and a swab of saliva from the father.
They believe that, in time, the test will become widely available, enabling doctors to screen unborn babies for some 3,500 genetic disorders.

This breakthrough opens up all kinds of ethical consideration. Knowing the problem before the child is born can lead to prenatal and newborn treatments. On the other hand, knowing the child will be born with serious birth defects or a high probability of a number of fatal diseases could lead to more abortions. Just having the test could be a hard decision for many. This will surely raise both political and legal questions.

At the moment the only genetic disorder routinely tested for is Down’s syndrome. However, simple tests for other genetic disorders are just around the corner.

Unborn babies could be tested for 3,500 genetic faults - Telegraph

Yes, both a blessing and a curse. (My closest friend has multiple disabilities, developmentally disabled, blind, and unique facial features; I thank God she was born, and came into my life.) She can also tell how far she has walked, in the area of her country home, better than those with sight; she knows time passage without a watch, and can con most people out of a Pepsi, and Reese's, before they realize they given them to her.

 

[Luissa]

Scientists could soon be able to routinely screen unborn babies for thousands of genetic conditions, raising concerns the breakthrough could lead to more abortions.

A team has been able to predict the whole genetic code of a foetus by taking a blood sample from a woman who was 18 weeks pregnant, and a swab of saliva from the father.
They believe that, in time, the test will become widely available, enabling doctors to screen unborn babies for some 3,500 genetic disorders.

This breakthrough opens up all kinds of ethical consideration. Knowing the problem before the child is born can lead to prenatal and newborn treatments. On the other hand, knowing the child will be born with serious birth defects or a high probability of a number of fatal diseases could lead to more abortions. Just having the test could be a hard decision for many. This will surely raise both political and legal questions.

At the moment the only genetic disorder routinely tested for is Down’s syndrome. However, simple tests for other genetic disorders are just around the corner.

Unborn babies could be tested for 3,500 genetic faults - Telegraph

Yes, both a blessing and a curse. (My closest friend has multiple disabilities, developmentally disabled, blind, and unique facial features; I thank God she was born, and came into my life.) She can also tell how far she has walked, in the area of her country home, better than those with sight; she knows time passage without a watch, and can con most people out of a Pepsi, and Reese's, before they realize they given them to her.

I know a girl like this. She can tell you what day your birthday will fall on five days down the road etc. You give her a date and she can tell you what day it will fall in within a minute or two. She is mostly blind, along with a few other issues.

 

[Flopper]

Prenatal treatments are seriously limited because of what we don't know about the unborn child. This could give us information to develop those treatments. In some cases, parents would terminate the pregnancy rather than face the challenges. Whichever way parents went, the result would be a healthier population less likely to suffer from many devastating illnesses. This could be a real game changer for future generations.

 

[Skull Pilot]

tell me how getting rid of genetic disorders, and birth defects are bad things.

 

[Flopper]

If parents knew their children had a predisposition for childhood diabetes, asthma, obesity, MS, cancer or thousands of other problems it could change our focus more to prevention and monitoring. If tests confirm birth deflect, parents would have a choice to terminate the pregnancy or prepare for the appropriate care for newborn.

 

[Staidhup]

So it's final, we turn our lives and life itself over to science, and some feel this is good idea? Well I for one will just have to go along with God and pray for the best, live life to it's fullest and be thankful some scientist didn't advise my parents that I would only live to 74 years and 6 months. I assume it's the same scientists that have been running around saying the sky is falling?

 

[Flopper]

So it's final, we turn our lives and life itself over to science, and some feel this is good idea? Well I for one will just have to go along with God and pray for the best, live life to it's fullest and be thankful some scientist didn't advise my parents that I would only live to 74 years and 6 months. I assume it's the same scientists that have been running around saying the sky is falling?

If we just, as you say, go along with God, we would still be bleeding people and offering sacrifices as treatments.

 

[Katzndogz]

We offer human sacrifice today, we just call it abortion.

 

[Flopper]

We offer human sacrifice today, we just call it abortion.

And that your opinion which is a topic of another debate which has gone on for over 50 years.