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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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Safer Down Syndrome Tests Give Birth to Ethics Fears

Procedures look safer, more accurate, but raise ethics concerns

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(Newser) – New tests to detect Down syndrome early in pregnancy look highly promising to some experts—but they’re prompting new ethical and medical questions, the Washington Post reports. The procedures, to be publicly available in June, appear safer and more accurate than current options. But Down syndrome and anti-abortion activists fear they could increase terminated pregnancies, while some doctors worry more testing is needed before they’re marketed.

The tests use a pregnant woman’s blood and are less invasive than current procedures. “We have a history in this country of a eugenics movement where people tried to eliminate certain people from the gene pool,” says one of the tests' detractors. Meanwhile, others worry expecting parents could get flawed information about Down syndrome. “We have a nation of physicians who are unprepared for explaining a diagnosis,” said a doctor.

Soon-to-be-available Down syndrome tests look more accurate and safer than current ones.
Soon-to-be-available Down syndrome tests look more accurate and safer than current ones.   (Shutterstock)
New tests are raising ethical concerns among some activists.
New tests are raising ethical concerns among some activists.   (Shutterstock)
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For 50 years, folks have been working to develop a noninvasive genetic test for Down syndrome. People have described it as the Holy Grail of genetic testing. We are on the cusp of delivering that. - Harry Stylii, CEO, Sequenom

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7 comments
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riffran
Feb 24, 09 12:02 PM CST
Talk about the "sword of damocles" on this one....false reading, abort a normal child, or get a false negative reading, keep a affected child with downs to term...and all that implies....more research is needed Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
NutsInNY
Feb 24, 09 12:06 PM CST
Yes, agreed.
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NutsInNY
Feb 24, 09 12:05 PM CST
Testing for Down syndrome is not ethnic cleansing... I worked with Down syndrome folks for 15 years, proudly... But no parent in his/her right mind would willingly bring a child into this world who is *mentally retarded*... (I prefer that more accurate/more useful label, which is used by the APA, rather than the vaguer/less useful term "developmentally disabled"...because such folks need specific advocacy, and broader terms obscure their specific needs, even if they sound kinder.) Reply
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Collusive
Feb 24, 09 2:36 PM CST
Are you implying that Sarah Palin is not a parent in her right mind? Also, the only reason why there is a stigma attached to the word "retard" is because of the decencies themselves. Fifty years ago, retard was the accepted term, and I'm guessing that fifty years from now, developmentally disabled will carry the same negativity that retard does today.
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IN RESPONSE:
NutsInNY
Feb 24, 09 7:40 PM CST
(1) that's easy: yes; (2) sentence doesn't make sense; (3) "developmentally disabled" just doesn't roll of the tongue like "REtard" does, now does it?
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