I have a new article about Prenatal Testing at Motherlode, the parenting blog of the New York Times. It is called: “Deciding Not to Screen for Down Syndrome: Why Prenatal Testing Harms as Much as it Helps.” It begins:
My pregnancy has been an easy one. No morningsickness, more than ample weight gain, minimal aches and pains and good rest. Yet as my husband, Peter, and I walked into the doctor’s office for our first prenatal appointment, I said, “I am dreading this visit.”
Our daughter, who is now 4½, has Down syndrome. She was born when I was 28. Although there is no known cause for Down syndrome (the presence of an extra 21st chromosome), as soon as I conceived Penny, my chances of having another baby with Down syndrome increased significantly, from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100. Those chances only increase further as I age.
But my dread as I walked into the doctor’s office didn’t come from the thought that this new baby might have an extra chromosome. My dread arose from the prospect of talking to a doctor about prenatal testing.
To continue reading, click here.
(And if you’re interested in this topic, please read the comments on the piece and add your own voice to the mix.)
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