Screen all preborn babies for Downs’, doctors say:

For decades, pregnant women 35 and older have routinely been tested for chromosomal abnormalities that might affect their fetus, most notably Down syndrome. Younger women were tested much less often because the risk of birth defects was low and invasive procedures like amniocentesis carried risks of their own.

But now the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is recommending Down syndrome screening for all pregnant women, regardless of their age.

Everyone quoted in the article is terribly glad about this, even the March of Dimes rep.

Who knew that Downs’ Syndrome people were, apparently, such a great threat to humanity? It is creepy and tragic because the reason for the early diagnosis is not so you can spend a couple of extra months preparing for the special challenges, but so everyone can be assured that an earlier, better abortion can be had by all.

In explaining the new recommendation, several physicians said the cutoff age of 35 had always been somewhat arbitrary. “Many women are unhappy with it, because it doesn’t mean anything to them; it’s kind of being put upon them,” said Dr. James Goldberg, a former chairman of the obstetrics college’s committee on genetics, who helped develop the new guidelines.

For example, Dr. Goldberg said, a 29-year-old woman and her partner might now choose amniocentesis instead of a blood test. In the past, the more invasive procedure was seldom recommended for younger women because it could sometimes result in miscarriage. Now the risk is considered to be quite low, and in any event, Dr. Goldberg said, for some couples “losing a normal pregnancy secondary to the procedure is not as problematic as the birth of a Down syndrome child, so they’re willing to take that risk.”

I will say that the most startling aspect of this story (because none of that content above is particularly startling) is the graphic: a 3-D ultrasound image of what looks to be about a 10-12-week old fetus.

One has to wonder what came over them.