DNA testing for autism opens doors to selective abortions

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That's terrible! They should let unborn autisic kids live!

Nobody's killing unborn "autistic kids." It's just someone claiming that that is what they think will happen.

Personally, I'm skeptical. People say the same thing about homosexuals and those with genetic ailments. It all comes off as rather alarmist to me.

Take a look at what happens to fetuses who test positive for Down's syndrome, or in some places even things like albinism, and get back to WP about whether you think it's alarmist.

Yeah, but selective-abortions have been performed for ages, way before advances in genetics.

And are we supposed to allow genetic advances to slow to a stop just because of some worries that could be remedied with the proper regulation?

80-90% of fetuses that test positive for DS are aborted. That doesn't mean 80-90% of all DS are aborted, just 80-90% of the ones who are tested. I was given a very high probability (greater than 50%) of having a baby with DS and the genetics counselor pretty much showed me the door to terminating the pregnancy. I was expecting to at least get a pamphlet from a DS advocacy group, or something. Instead I was shown a binder of black and white drawings of abnormal chromosomes and treated like the pregnancy being over was a foregone conclusion. So like I said, I think the emphasis should be on what goes on in the chambers of the genetics counselors. If they could just hand out a pro-DS or pro-autism (once the testing is concrete) pamphlet, that would not be too intrusive. They should give information from both sides to let the parent make the decision.

Further testing came back that my baby had normal chromosomes, but what is scary is that I was encouraged by 2 specialists to go ahead and terminate before this was determined, just on the suspicion that there was something wrong. They go about this all the wrong way.

This is where I am conflicted. I am pro-choice, which means that I believe a woman should have the right to terminate a pregnancy for any reason, even a reason I might personally find distasteful or unethical. So will we allow abortions for any reason other than genetic, or move to ban abortion all together (which would be a drastic blow to women's rights)? Is it any worse to have an abortion because you broke up with your boyfriend, vs. because your baby has abnormal chromosomes?

If it's performed early enough, it doesn't even matter.

If this ever comes close to reality, it's up to us to stop it. The "war on autism" will take on a more literal meaning.

Eugenetics is gaining strength. Bioethics in general is scary. There was a time when euthanasia was inconcievable. Now it happens, often in times when it isn't the best answer. So what'll it be like in 20 years?
The value of human life is no longer absolute!
It's very possible that they will try to predict the outcome of unborn children by way of genetics. And then if abortion is legal, and their child is "disabled"...

I wish there was a way to make it illegal to abort a fetus based on results of amniocentesis. I also wish there was a way to get people to understand that reproduction is the creation of a new family member, not a new toy. You cannot control who your relatives turn out to be, but you can grow to appreciate them and learn from them, no matter who they are.

It really does depend on the degree to which a fetus is affected (and how far along it is). My friend has a very autistic brother who was institutionalized at a very young age. He's got no speech and no recognition of his brother or parents. These days they rarely visit him because he's violent and neither he, nor they get any benefit from the visits.

It's a burden/situation I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Also, there's a difference between how autistic a person is due to how wide the spectrum is. Are we talking about someone with an IQ of 40 who is completely incapacitated an incapable of living a fulfilling life, or a person with Asperger's who is just as intelligent (and often more so) than a neurotypical? Autism ranges from severe retardation to eccentric and brilliant. At this point, I just need to watch and see how the issue pans out.

First I would not wish your situation on anyone either and it saddens me to think of your friends brother. But they do say if someone knows no different, they can be happy in there own way. Just because he is very different, does not mean someone else has the right to end his life - I know not a easy situation or answer for this....

What I really wanted to ask you is it his autism or is it an associated condition that causes his main problems. Autism is not the same as retardation, and often people with mental retardation may be described as having developmental disabilities, global developmental delay, or learning difficulties.

Where as ASD is distinguished in having no general delay in language or cognitive development. Although not mentioned in standard diagnostic criteria, motor clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.

Its just that if people are on the spectrum, everyone seems to blame that on everything, where as it can quite often be an associated condition that causes the problem. So maybe they will be able to tell if on the spectrum somewhere, but what of all the associated conditions and life factors...

Abortion was the solution for Down Syndrome (even though Down Syndrome kids are awesome). I'm sure some groups searching for autism genes have as their main goal of ridding the world of autism through abortions. That's why I wish everyone would focus on environmental causes and ignore the genes that make us susceptible. Some people have susceptibility genes for lung cancer but I think it's better to avoid smoking instead of aborting those who are susceptible to its effects. I see no good reason to look at genes related to autism.

I don't believe that abortion should be permitted except under certain, extreme circumstances, like the mother dieing during or after childbirth or if there is a certainty of the child dieing soon after birth. If a mother doesn't want her baby for whatever reason, adopting it out is another solution.

I think that every baby has the right to be born. All babies are conceived, for a reason.

It doesn't bother me what people do as long as it doesn't harm me.

(Naturally, I wouldn't mind how "disabled" a child of mine was; to each their own however.)