Paper Example on Prenatal Down's Syndrome Screening

Introduction

We should not be looking for Down syndrome at all. It is not, in and of itself, a health issue. There are health risks associated with being an Ashkenazi Jew, such as the potential for Tay-Sachs Disease, which is horrible and lethal. These are clear health concerns, and yet we would never say it is wrong to be an Ashkenazi Jew unless we genuinely learned nothing from the World War III. This should not even be on the table for discussion.

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The technological advancements in parental diagnoses of the chromosome and genetic disorders have led to some ethical and legal concerns. This is because prenatal blood testing is considered illegal as it violates the law on genetic diagnosis and the anti-discrimination law of the constitution (Pueschel, 2010). Although some consider prenatal blood test as important in testing the Down's syndrome-a disability caused by a chromosome aberration- in unborn babies (Pueschel, 2010), it is also killing and segregating the disable. This is against the medical ethics since the test does not have either therapeutic or medical benefits. Therefore, the prenatal blood test is discriminatory and a selection process in the worst form. Besides, these tests may only be for commercial profits, which is farfetched from providing a cure. For example, one genetic defect in the UK s estimated to be about 1200 euros- unlike other tests such as an amniotic fluid analysis that diagnose many risks (Reynolds, 2013).

It is estimated that parental Down syndrome test usually leads to 90% of cases of abortion (Pueschel, 2010). With prenatal blood testing, mothers can decide to abort the child out of fear for their future. Such selective abortions also lead to discriminatory attitudes and questions of how the society is more desired to prevent the births of children who would live with disabilities (Reynolds, 2013). Prospective parents of children affected with Down syndrome should only be provided with support, appropriate counseling, and pertinent information. An accurate and thorough description of what life will be with a child with Down syndrome will help in helping the child (Reynolds, 2013). This informs their decisions about their children's future quality of life. The society should realize that there are some positive impacts that come with children with Down's syndrome, as they also bring the same joy and challenges of raising any child.

Conclusion

In my opinion, although it may be ethical not to look at prenatal Down's syndrome screening at all because it kills and segregate the disable, it needs to be accepted considering the negative implications it comes with for both the parent and the child. The prospect of having a child with Down's syndrome is burdensome than a procedure related miscarriage, and we should allow women to have a choice on what happens to their pregnancies. As long as the screening is a voluntary course of action, it would have a moral legitimacy. Any form of compulsion that forces women to accept or decline the test would be unacceptable.

References

Pueschel, S. M. (2010). Ethical considerations relating to the prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with Down syndrome. Mental retardation, 29(4), 185.

Reynolds, T. M. (2013). Down's syndrome screening is unethical: views of today's research ethics committees. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 56(4), 268-270.