News report on prenatal Dna test

ainverso

https://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews/posts/10153374641923689

Thought this was interesting and worth sharing. Scary.

WhitMathis

I'm glad we denied those tests.

lyannast

Eh, not a fan of prenatal testing. I think you should just love your child no matter how they come. Everyone has a right to life.

Plus they're inaccurate way too often.

stlmomof2

I was explained about these tests and how high their accuracy rate was so I just did one these blood tests on Thursday. I figured I rather know now than later if anything were to show up...

Makes me mad I wish someone would of explained it a lot more in detail like the video did. I would of been devasted as that couple were if I received that news!!!!!

DaphneMoon1

lyannast said:

Eh, not a fan of prenatal testing. I think you should just love your child no matter how they come. Everyone has a right to life.

Plus they're inaccurate way too often.

Wow, that's a super judgemental point of view. If you personally feel that way, fine. It's extremely rude to assume women who do testing wouldn't "love their child no matter what". Testing is a very personal choice that women do for a variety of reasons.

Please keep in mind that many women have this test done and may find your response offensive.

Edit: spelling error

stlmomof2

To rephrase not mad I took the test but if my results were misinterpreted I would be given those accuracy rates.

lyannast

@DaphneMoon1 I have reasons for my strong views on this. I understand that people may find this offensive, but it's horrible for me to know that 97% of women with prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome terminate their pregnancy, when my brother who I adore has Down Syndrome and hydrocephalus. My parents were told several times, by several different doctors that they should terminate and my brother would be a vegetable. He is most definitely not that. He is clever and funny and the light of our lives.

Prenatal testing has a whole different meaning to a lot of people who's lives have been touched by 'special needs'
I've had people say to me when out with my brother 'you know they have tests for that now'
To me, that's just foul.

You may not agree, I respect that it's something people do, so you can respect that it's something I don't agree with

I have friends who have tested, and friends who have terminated. They respect my opinion, I respect theirs.
I'm entitled to my own opinion at the end of the day. I see people post actual horrible judgemental things on here all the time, I was offering an opinion, not an attack. I'm allowed and as I said, I have a damn good reason.

DaphneMoon1

@lyannast I agree, you are entitled to you opinion for whatever reasons you have. Saying "I think YOU should love YOUR child no matter what" is the part that I find offensive. You didn't say, "I would love my child no matter what". You are projecting your feeling on how others should make decisions. Other people have very personal reasons they make their choices.

Respecting others opinions/decisions means understanding they have a reason to feel that way. You are assuming that women who test wouldn't love their child based on the results they get. That's unfair.

lyannast

That's my opinion. I was generalising to the 97% I mentioned.

I don't have anything else to say on the matter. I'm so not defending myself for a valid opinion when so many women on here are purposely nasty and no one calls them out. I love my brothers and I don't agree with society deeming them and people like them unworthy of life. I'm sure not going to apologise for that.

Have a nice day.

herdofcows

I think the women getting the tests should be informed that it is not a diagnostic test...that it is only a screening test and more tests would have to be done to be sure.

My worry is not of false positives but of false negatives. With my first I got a false negative and found out at birth. I think that is where it is the worst since you were told no but in reality it is a yes.

beckerlaine

Exactly what she said. These tests are NOT diagnostic, they are less invasive than diagnostic tests and simply looking for risk.

Many people who choose to get these test done simply are planners and want to be prepared for if there is an abnormality, not necessarily decide to terminate the pregnancy. ESPECIALLY off a test that again... determines RISK, not diagnosis.

Knottie1452445632

beckerlaine exactly my opinion, I will "love my child no matter what" and would never terminate based on test results. But, I test because I want to know if my baby has an issue. Yes we would be "devastated" which is a normal knee jerk reaction if my child had a abnormality such as Downs (any councillor would says that's a normal reaction). However, I would come to terms with it and would find as much information as possible and seek medical help so that my beautiful baby would have the best start in life and I could support, love and nurture my baby for the rest if their life. I am a teacher and have had students with Downs etc so i understand what their needs can be and that's not an issue. I also tested high risk in my last pregnancy for downs but she was luckily unaffected. I understand the persons anger on here who has a brother with downs but as I and other posters have said it's just as wrong to tarnish all expectant parents with the "you all will have an abortion" brush as it is to tarnish all children with Down's syndrome with the "not worth a life" brush. It sounds like we are all of the same opinion so let's play nicely women xxxxx Here's to a happy healthy 9 months

kmcc14

I'm about as pro-life as they come, and I had the genetic testing done.  I'll admit it was mostly because I wanted the ultrasound, and I wasn't going to have my first until 20 weeks otherwise.  But I also think it is good to be prepared if there is a risk detected.  Of course I find the 97% statistic heartbreaking for babies with downs risk.  However, I have seen many, many posts on here from women who would not terminate no matter what the results, but just want to be prepared.  I've also seen several posts from women who want the test just to find out the sex early.  I understand why this is a touchy subject for someone who has family with special needs, but everyone does the test for different reasons.

aphilli8

lyannast said:

Eh, not a fan of prenatal testing. I think you should just love your child no matter how they come. Everyone has a right to life.

Plus they're inaccurate way too often.

This is an ignorant thing to say. There are many reasons to get the prenatal testing done and I believe "not loving your child" isn't one of them. Get some perspective.

lyannast

As I said before, I was thinking of the rate of abortion statistically. What I said was because of the numbers and stories I've heard since living life with my brother.

If you're doing the test because you want to be informed, that's great. But the reality is, you're not the majority.

I'm going to stop posting on this now because it's really emotional for me. I'm already more emotional than usually and this is a subject that upsets me even without the extra hormones. I apologise for any offence, but that is my stance on testing where termination is concerned. I should have clarified that's what I meant in the first post. I thought it was pretty obvious I was talking about termination but again, sorry for the confusion.

mamaksweez

This is exactly why we don't do any testing.

willashbaby

This is why women need to be educated and do their own research. The cell free DNA gives you ODDS, that's all. Have an amnio to confirm if you think you need more information, or don't if you want the baby no matter what. People just need to be educated enough to understand these things. 

andreachristine81

Testing IS a VERY personal choice. I am almost 34 and chose to do so. My doctors office just called (on a Saturday - strange!!) to let me know that the test for everything came back negative. I am so relieved! Of course I would love my baby either way, I don't think testing says that anyone won't. I am just the type of woman who likes to be prepared for everything that I can (mentally, emotionally and physically) and so that is why I chose to do the blood work. We opted out of determining gender in a blood test because in Canada it's almost $1,000 and not covered by my extended benefits. I am almost 13 weeks and so in a few weeks we will know .

Sovvy

First off, the 97% figure is just flat wrong. Try some sources other than pro-life sites. 

Second, these tests do NOT only screen for down syndrome. For the last time, DS is basically the best possible outcome you could find in these scans besides a healthy baby.

Signed,

Someone who found a FATAL disorder at their prenatal scan and who's baby in utero died 6 weeks later

willashbaby

Thank you for sharing @je&moeder 

This is the kind of thing people need to hear. I would be far more concerned about my baby being completely incompatible with life than having DS. 

Lljbean

Well, she seems to have GBCB'd anyway.  8-| Some people cannot handle other people's opinions or the internet. 

willashbaby

@lljbean yes! I almost wanted to post that on her thread but I figured I should just ignore it rather than give her what she probably wants. 

aphilli8

lyannast said:

As I said before, I was thinking of the rate of abortion statistically. What I said was because of the numbers and stories I've heard since living life with my brother.

If you're doing the test because you want to be informed, that's great. But the reality is, you're not the majority.

I'm going to stop posting on this now because it's really emotional for me. I'm already more emotional than usually and this is a subject that upsets me even without the extra hormones. I apologise for any offence, but that is my stance on testing where termination is concerned. I should have clarified that's what I meant in the first post. I thought it was pretty obvious I was talking about termination but again, sorry for the confusion.

My opinion is your stance on what people do with their own bodies is irrelevant. That's what is so awesome about bodily autonomy.

This is emotional for a lot of people, which is why you should think before you make sweeping generalizations. Thanks for the apology though.

Sovvy

It is absolutely infuriating to me that people ride their high horse of "I would love my baby no matter what."

I did love my baby. I wanted my baby. I didn't get a choice in what happened, and I'm so thankful I found out at a 13 week ultrasound that something was terribly wrong vs the alternative of finding out halfway thru, or worse, bleeding from a 2nd trimester miscarriage and having to go to the hospital to deliver my dead (and deformed) baby. 

Anyone who thinks a possible DS diagnosis is the only thing to worry about isn't thinking clearly or is grossly naive.

nanamp

This is absurd. These are screening tests. Not meant to be diagnostic. They are meant to help you make a decision about whether to do a test like CVS or amnio.
One day, they have the potential to replace those tests - but every doctor should know that we aren't there yet.

Threeplusoneontheway

We got a lot of hard people on here. As Osteen would say... "Not every person is going to understand you and that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it."

brod20

So much judgement from a very select few! Thankfully most of the responders here seem reasonable despite their personal opinions on the matter. I realize that I'm taking the risk of inciting more debate, but here goes anyway. As many of you posted, the tests are mostly accurate and are used as a guide. There is nothing wrong with making the best decision for you and your family based upon the results of the test. That's the reason that we chose to do it. Thankfully we are having a healthy boy. For some that means keeping the baby regardless, and others it makes a difference. I think that the thing that a lot of people forget to think about is that you aren't just commiting to raising a child with a (sometimes major) disability, you are also committing to forever caring for the ADULT who will eventually age out of the system/services provided to children. I work in a field with people who have disabilities and mental health, and this is the struggle that a lot of my families face. I am not saying that women who choose to do this are wrong or naive, because it has to be a choice that works for you and your family and if you can do that, that is great! But judging women who get the tests, either for informational purposes or to make a bigger decision is unfair because it's not YOUR life that is being affected forever. Also, as PP posters have mentioned, these tests look for FATAL disorders in addition to Down's Syndrome. This is a big deal, and I am thankful that science has advanced to give us the information and tools that we need, regardless of our personal feelings and decisions. Here's to hoping that ALL of us, regardless of our choice to test or not test, have happy healthy babies. And let's be kind! This is site for support and information, not stress and fighting.

Mommyduclos

I worked as a CNA with disabled children and occasionally adults. And the truth is more than half of the patients I have had, their disability occurred after birth and was not genetic. I will not place judgement on people who choose to terminate an extremely ill child, but as parents we must all realize that we are committed to these children for life, no matter what, and not just until they are 18, even if they are born healthy. I've seen kids choke and have near drown accidents that left them severely disabled. I've seen ADULTS have motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents that have had to return to the care of their parents. Where as I understand the idea of caring for a disabled child (and adult) for the entirety of their life is very frightening, we all must realize that life is uncertain and your baby being born without genetic problems doesn't illiminate that possibility. I mean this as "food for thought" and hope no one takes offense.

mommiesandbabies

I am so thankful for these tests. I terminated a much wanted pregnancy due to a genetic defect (which was confirmed via CVS). In my case, the defect was fatal and it would have been a still birth sometime in second or early third tri. No thanks.

And frankly I would terminate for something less dramatic (I am on the fence about DS, but there are many other genetic issues out there people don't talk about for some reason). I have other children to think about, and we cannot afford major medical issues (which can happen anyway, but I am all for preventative medicine), and I cannot imagine going through a pregnancy to deliver a baby apt to die within hours or a year. It's just cruel from my perspective, to birth a baby who will suffer on earth

The beauty is we have the right to feel differently about this. No one forces you to terminate when issues are found, but it's sure nice to have options.