Should Down Syndrome Babies be Aborted?

[iso36]

Or should they be allowed to live?

 

[oggbashan]

It depends on the severity. Most will live fairly normal happy lives with minimal support. Some will have very little quality of life at all.

It is a value judgement that is extremely difficult to make.

 

[iso36]

It depends on the severity. Most will live fairly normal happy lives with minimal support. Some will have very little quality of life at all.

It is a value judgement that is extremely difficult to make.

Apparently, 90% of Down babies are aborted.

That will change in the USA, of course, but you’re right, in countries where there is a choice, it’s a heart-breaker.

 

[oggbashan]

One of my eldest daughter's school friends was a down's baby. She was always happy and contented and well liked.

She now works as a cashier in ASDA (UK branch of Walmart) but she has difficulty with awkward customers or scanning failures.

If she does, her colleagues rush to assist her. That doesn't happen very often but she has a caring support network. She is proud that she is earning her own living.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I've had two car accidents in the past 10 years were someone ran into me while I was at a complete stop at a stop sign. Both drivers had Down syndrome. What are the odds? The first guy was in his 60s....I don't believe I've ever seen someone with Down syndrome that old. The second one (~6 years later) was a student driver being taught by his mother. I got out of my car to inspect for damage on the first accident (minimal scrape) and the driver just broke down in tears and wailed "please don't him me!"

 

[TallMan69]

They should be allowed to live. Had more parents terminated the pregnancy we may never have known Corky from Life Goes On.

 

[FataMorgana]

Oddly there's a documentary on about this very thing tonight.

 

[STRC]

I've had two car accidents in the past 10 years were someone ran into me while I was at a complete stop at a stop sign. Both drivers had Down syndrome. What are the odds? The first guy was in his 60s....I don't believe I've ever seen someone with Down syndrome that old. The second one (~6 years later) was a student driver being taught by his mother. I got out of my car to inspect for damage on the first accident (minimal scrape) and the driver just broke down in tears and wailed "please don't him me!"

I had a brother with Downs and he lived to be 61. That is very old for people with downs.....they should not be aborted is my thinking but also knowing the different degrees of Downs it has to be the hardest thing a person may ever go through making the decision to abort or not........

 

[RobDownSouth]

I had a brother with Downs and he lived to be 61. That is very old for people with downs.....they should not be aborted is my thinking but also knowing the different degrees of Downs it has to be the hardest thing a person may ever go through making the decision to abort or not........

When I first saw the guy I had a sudden realization that I'd never seen an "old" person with Down syndrome before.

 

[RobDownSouth]

The fact is that every year over 35 a woman conceives a child the chances of having a Down or other “defective” child rises quite dramatically.

Don't know about 35-ish but can vouch anecdotally for 40+.

I was once engaged to a woman in my 20s....broke it off because she was adamant about not having children. As it turned out, her biological alarm clock had a longer snooze button....she had two high-risk pregnancies at age 41 and 43 with her husband. Her first child was born completely deaf and her second child had something called "fragile X syndrome".

Her kids are now finishing high school while some of my classmates' grandkids are starting high school.

 

[Fermina_Daza]

The fact is that every year over 35 a woman conceives a child the chances of having a Down or other “defective” child rises quite dramatically.

For many decades it was routine to abort.

I wonder if the current debate in the USA will result in people reconsidering the lines of those decisions.

The USA gives no fucks about babies - with or without Down’s syndrome. It’s about control of women and furthering a religious agenda.

The financial cost of raising a child with Down’s can be staggering. Now, we’re just imposing more women to bear that financial cost while still allowing men to check out.

But I’ll get off my soapbox before it turns into a bubble bath in here.

 

[Fermina_Daza]

I can’t say I agree with your pov.

I see the anti-abortionists as bring pro-baby.

The pro-abortionists put the baby at the back of the bus.

Life before liberty?

Depends on your definition of a baby or when life truly begins. And if you really believe in life before liberty, then you have the answer to your question.

 

[CthuluLives]

Jesus what a fuckin question..

I gotta be honest and say I'm glad I live on the side of the pond I do where clinics don't get firebombed, where women have control of their own bodies.

One of the most jaw dropping things I've read in a long time is states banning women from abortions even if it was conceived from rape or incest. Like wtf? What year do we live in? And people vote this in? I know my country isn't perfect and I don't approve of stone throwing but fuckin hell, this is dark ages shit.

No you don't just abort downs babies. I had an uncle with downs, died in his 60's, I get so emotional when I think of him and the doctors that wanted him euthanized. He lived a long life, was cared and looked after, was a very gentle soul and helped make differences in all our lives, from learning tolerance and understanding to making us laugh.

1st and only reply to these kind of things. Makes me far too emotional

 

[oggbashan]

In the UK, about 90% of foetuses with Downs are aborted.

Abortion laws in the UK usually allow abortion up to 24 weeks but for babies with significant abnormalities, abortion right up to a natural birth date is allowed. There are very few cases after 24 weeks in any year, and usually, that isn't Down's but something far more serious that would probably mean the baby couldn't survive birth. That law was recently challenged by Down's people but they lost.

Most women over 30 are tested for Down's. If the test confirms Down's, she has to make a difficult decision. Given the lack of support for people with Down's, the decision is usually to abort as a Down's baby might not live long, or if it did, the strain on the family could be immense.

 

[NOBGE]

Or should they be allowed to live?

No! If tests reveal a severe deformity, that’s different and up to the parents. Close friend has a Down’s son. He‘s 23, one of the sweetest, nicest most caring individual you’d meet and he just start his freshman year at college yesterday!

 

[LukSkyFokker]

I had a brother with Downs and he lived to be 61. That is very old for people with downs.....they should not be aborted is my thinking but also knowing the different degrees of Downs it has to be the hardest thing a person may ever go through making the decision to abort or not........

The USA gives no fucks about babies - with or without Down’s syndrome. It’s about control of women and furthering a religious agenda.

The financial cost of raising a child with Down’s can be staggering. Now, we’re just imposing more women to bear that financial cost while still allowing men to check out.

But I’ll get off my soapbox before it turns into a bubble bath in here.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111111111111111

 

[iso36]

Why is it not cool to abort a Down’s baby but cool to abort inconvenient babies?