A new type of test is being rolled out to detect genetic abnormalities in unborn
babies. It examines traces of fetal DNA in the mother’s bloodstream that predict the
risk of a child being born with Down syndrome and other conditions, like Trisomy
18 and Edwards syndrome.

This test doesn’t involve the six-inch needle and 1 percent risk of causing
miscarriage that amniocentesis does. Sequenom’s website advertises its Materniti21
test as “an alternative to traditional” testing methods, “non-invasive to you and your
baby.”

The tests, really screenings, have already been performed on tens of thousands of
mothers and are being marketed aggressively by four companies. They carry
another very real risk though, the significant risk of death for the unborn child.

The Wall Street Journal reports that false positives are popping up more frequently
than expected saying that in the “worst-case scenario, inaccurate test results could
contribute to the abortion of healthy babies.” And what if the baby is found to
have Down syndrome or something else? The Journal makes it sound as though
the most tragic outcome is the inadvertent choice to abort a healthy fetus. But
what of the abortion and death of those with Down syndrome or the other genetic
abnormalities.

Is that not just as tragic?

Spokesmen for the companies marketing the screenings insist they are to be
followed by ultrasounds or amniocentesis before presenting the patient with the
choice to terminate the pregnancy. But they admit there’s a lot of confusion out
there. The Journal interviewed Athena Cherry, director of Stanford University
Medical Center’s cytogenetics lab who said “…the message isn’t driven home
enough.” She performed follow-up testing on six positive results for 2 severe
conditions, four of which turned out to be false positives.

The Journal also reports that the tests appeal to women because they can be
performed earlier, at about 10 weeks gestation, giving them more time to make the
“difficult decisions.”

Prenatal testing is recommended for women at higher risk of having babies with
chromosomal abnormalities, including being over 35 years old. But, with the
availability of these new non-invasive tests, some experts are recommending these
tests be offered to women of any age along with “appropriate counseling.” Will
it ever be appropriate to counsel a couple to bear a child that is expected to have
genetic abnormalities that will be expensive and inconvenient to deal with?

Folks, insurance companies have started covering these screenings which will
likely become standard practice for all pregnancies. They will be covered under
ObamaCare. Not surprising that a national health system would seek to cull the
ranks of the disabled to save money.

Prenatal tests can detect conditions for which doctors then treat the baby in utero.
Mostly, though, they inform the decision whether or not to continue a pregnancy.
It’s tragic, but in our individualistic, utilitarian culture, most of those decisions will
bring the baby’s death.