Author: Not screening us out (i): Contact: dontscreenusout.org or email [email protected]
Published: 2020-06-12
Table of contents and important points:
2019 Department of Health and Social Affairs abortion statistics show 656 abortions in which a baby had Down syndrome. Current law allows abortion until birth if a baby has a disability including Down syndrome.
The private availability of cfDNA testing (also known as NIPT) is likely already leading to an increase in the number of children with Down syndrome who are discarded by termination.
This situation will only get worse as the government continues to intend to advance proposals to implement cfDNA testing in the Fetal Anomaly Screening Program.
Main digestion
Down syndrome or Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is medically defined as a genetic disorder that is caused in whole or in part by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth retardation, mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. and characteristic facial features. While Down syndrome is listed in many dictionaries with both common spellings (with or without an apostrophe), Down syndrome is preferred in the United States.
The latest abortion statistics released today by the Department of Health and Social Welfare * show 656 abortions in which a baby had Down syndrome in 2019. Current law allows abortion until birth if a baby has a disability including Down’s syndrome.
The actual numbers are likely higher than reported because disability abortion statistics have not been adequately reported. A 2013 review found that England and Wales had 886 abortions for Down syndrome in 2010, but only 482 in Department of Health and Social Affairs abortion statistics. Underreporting was confirmed by a 2014 Department of Health and Social Affairs review .
The private availability of cfDNA testing (also known as NIPT) is likely already leading to an increase in the number of children with Down syndrome who are discarded by termination. Some of the introduction of these tests by the NHS, which the private tests have recommended to expecting mothers, may also affect the number of terminations.
A recent Sunday Times research found that the number of babies born with Down syndrome in NHS hospitals that have introduced the new form of screening has fallen by 30%.
The figures released by 26 hospital trusts in England under the Freedom of Information Act represent about a fifth of the hospital trusts that provide maternity services. They show that more women who have the new test have abortions.
This situation will only get worse as the government continues to intend to advance proposals to implement cfDNA testing in the Fetal Anomaly Screening Program.
The Don’t Screen Us Out campaign, a coalition of advocacy groups for Down syndrome, is calling on Matt Hancock to postpone the implementation of the new test until there is full consultation with the Down syndrome community and medical Reforms were introduced to deal with the unresolved ethical issues of screening.
Heidi Crowter, a 24-year-old Coventry woman with Down syndrome, has teamed up with Máire Lea-Wilson of Brentford, west London, whose 11-month-old son Aidan has Down syndrome, and initiated a landmark case against her the UK government on the current discriminatory abortion law which allows abortion until birth for Down syndrome.
Lynn Murray, spokeswoman for the Don’t Screen Us Out campaign, said:
“As the mother of a 20 year old daughter with Down syndrome, I see every day the unique value she brings to our family and the positive impact it has on others around her.
It is deeply worrying that, despite the leaps in awareness advocacy groups have made about people with Down syndrome, abortion in the case of Down syndrome is still so common and widespread in the UK. In fact, all the time we hear from parents how they were repeatedly presented with abortion as the obvious solution in the hospital after the news came that their baby had Down syndrome.
Given that the government will implement proposals to provide private screening tests in the NHS, projections show that the number of children with Down syndrome screened by termination is likely to increase sharply unless immediate action is taken.
In England and Wales, 90% of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are abandoned. Northern Ireland is currently taking a very different approach to having a baby diagnosed with Down syndrome. Disability selective abortion for Down syndrome is illegal and there is a culture of accepting and supporting people with disabilities rather than eliminating them.
This is directly reflected in the latest official figures, which show that nearly 100% of babies with Down syndrome are born in Northern Ireland. This is in stark contrast to the 90% dropout rate for Down syndrome in other parts of the UK. “
More information about the Don’t Screen Us Out campaign can be found at www.dontscreenusout.org or by email at [email protected]
* Department of Health and Welfare Abortion Statistics Report for England and Wales for 2019.
(i) Source / Reference: Do not shield us. Disabled World makes no guarantees or warranties in connection therewith. Content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length.
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Journal: Disabled World. Language: English. Author: Don’t screen us off. Electronic publication date: 2020-06-12. Last revised date: 2020-06-12. Reference Title: “656 Down Syndrome Abortions in 2019,” Source: 656 Down Syndrome Abortions in 2019. Summary: Department of Health and Social Affairs abortion statistics for 2019 show 656 abortions in which a baby had Down syndrome. Current law allows abortion until birth if a baby has a disability including Down syndrome. Retrieved on December 22, 2018 from https://www.disabled-world.com/news/uk/downs-abortions.php – reference category number: DW # 256-13852.
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