Tuesday, February 20, 2007
#6: Should prenatal testing be routine for all women?
No. I do not think that prenatal testing should be routine for all women. I think it should be available to all women if they desire. I am a woman who does not desire to have prenatal testing. This is for many reasons, but it all boils down to the fact that abortion is not a choice for me, no matter the physical or mental capabilities of the child. I will have that child and love it no matter what. To this point, there is no cure for any genetic abnormalities. If there is a physical handicap that can be "fixed," then it will most likely be "fixed" outside of the womb. So, in the end, I have no need to have prenatal testing performed. If I knew there was a problem, I would be upset and worried the rest of my pregnancy. Instead, I can enjoy the pregnancy, and when the child is born be aware that there is always the possibility of problems and be willing to accept whatever child God created for me to raise.
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3 comments:
I agree that it should be a woman's choice to have prenatal testing done on their body. It shouldn't be "required." We should make it a priority for testing to be "available" to all women. I can understand why some women would not want prenatal testing. The only kind of testing I am interested in is: 1) to know whether MY preventable health will affect the baby and 2) to know the sex and age. :) But none of the congenital, genetic, or chromosomal problems--I can face those at birth. Kids Health has a great section about it: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/medical_care_pregnancy.html
Prenatal testing allows mothers and doctors to gather information regarding potential health problems and abnormalaties. The problem with this is that it may be the source of doubt and questioning on weather to continue with the pregnany if there has been a potential problem found. This may raise doubt, and as you said, the mother would not be able to enjoy the pregnancy experience. I am not saying testing should not be done, it should only be done at the mothers free will.
I agree with your posting and the comments made here. I have had 3 babies and did not choose to have invasive prenatal testing with any of my pregnancies. I do see the value of prenatal testing where it can reveal severe problems that can be adressed while the baby is still in the womb. I saw a surgery on an infant where the infant was removed from the womb, corrective surgery was performed and the child was place back into the womb to complete gestation. This is truly amazing technology. The child would have died on delivery if not for the surgery. I'm not sure how this problem was discovered, but it was severe enough (her spine was exposed) that I imagine it would have been found by ultrasound.
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