Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Brave new world

Study: Pressure to Abort Intense for Expectant Moms Carrying Down Syndrome Babies
The study from the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says women often only receive negative information when a prenatal exam shows a possibility of the baby having Down syndrome. Expectant mothers, the study shows, are seldom counseled about the latest information on Down syndrome or supplied information about parent support groups during the decision-making time.
A 1993 Canadian study found that one-fourth of the women surveyed admitted feeling pressured to undergo an amniocentesis -- and that one-third of those who tested positive for some form of birth defect felt pressured by medical staff to have an abortion. Another study conducted three years earlier revealed this astonishing finding: 88 percent of 22,000 women whose unborn child had been diagnosed with Down syndrome chose to abort the child.

It keeps getting scarier.

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