Would you abort a Down's Syndrome child?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-08-19 02:42pm

Simple question. Please note:

1) Do not tell me whether you think abortion should be legal or not. This is all about what you would do if you and your spouse found out that your child was going to have Down's Syndrome, assuming that abortion is legal. It is entirely possible for someone who supports abortion rights to have a problem with the idea of aborting his or her own offspring.

2) The fetus is in the first trimester at this point.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2005-08-19 02:46pm

Dakarne · Post by **Dakarne** » 2005-08-19 02:57pm

I don't know...

It'd weigh too heavily on my conscience for the rest of my life that I killed a child, my own child no less, but then again, the child has to live with Down's Syndrome...

It's a no-win situation in the way I see it... and I probably wouldn't know how to deal with it given the situation...

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2005-08-19 03:10pm

SCRawl · Post by **SCRawl** » 2005-08-19 03:12pm

I have to say yes, though of course my wife would have the final word. While I realize that in mild cases the affected person can lead a (more or less) active life, there is a very strong possibility that we could be bringing up a child with serious heart problems, digestive problems, etc.

In the end, though, if we did decide to abort, it would probably be one of those things that would bother me for the rest of my life. I hope, though, that this isn't something I'll ever have to decide -- we're trying for baby #2.

TimothyC · Post by **TimothyC** » 2005-08-19 03:18pm

I don't think I would push my wife to do so, however I would support whatever decision she would make. Yes It's a co-out, but from a legal perspective the father has no control over the situation. I know I'd love the kid the same so if she (my wife) told me to make the decision I'd say yes. However if my wife made it my decision I would seriously have to reevaluate my marrige to her, as I don't want to be married to a woman who either doesn't know I'd support her no matter what she decides or can't decide for herself.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2005-08-19 03:19pm

Absolutely.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2005-08-19 03:20pm

Absolutely.

Faabio · Post by **Faabio** » 2005-08-19 03:43pm

Yes i would.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2005-08-19 03:44pm

Yes.

Why? With severe Down's Syndrome, a child is essentially condemned to live its entire life entirely unable to live outside a totally-managed group-care environment. It would be irresponsibly cruel of me to allow a fetus that will develop severe Down's Syndrome to live. Now if there were a way to reliably predict the severity of Down's Syndrome the child would develop, then it would depend. Someone with only mild Down's Syndrome can live a full, independent life

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-08-19 04:08pm

If my wife agreed, yes.

Necroid · Post by **Necroid** » 2005-08-19 04:10pm

I think I would.

Post by **Edi** » 2005-08-19 04:14pm

Yes.

Edi

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-08-19 04:28pm

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2005-08-19 04:31pm

Yes.

I could only guarantee the child's quality of life as long as I and/or my wife was alive, meaning that I would essentially condemn my child to care outside that of his or her parents, and possibly quite poor care, depending on my finances. To inflict such a trauma on a mentally handicapped individual is unconsiconable.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2005-08-19 05:51pm

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2005-08-19 06:36pm

I find it interesting some people here mention the fact they think it would be unfair to the child. Though I do believe this is absolutely true, and consider it a factor in the decision, I'll be frank here and say my personal motivation is almost entirely selfish. I would not want to handle a Down's Syndrome child, and, in fact, do not think I would have the necessary patience. I severely doubt I'd have the capacity to take care of the child, and I, to be fair, don't want to find out.

I'm not arguing my reasons are moral, but, alas, I am not a perfectly moral person. Not even close.

Mrs Kendall · Post by **Mrs Kendall** » 2005-08-19 06:48pm

I'm gonna have to say no here. It would weight too heavily on my mind that I killed my child, I have a cousin with downs syndrome and she's fine, her mother is incredible awesome and I don't see a reason to abort if the child has a supportive and caring set of parents. Now of course everything I just said would depend on if we could find out how serious this situation would be for the child but as of today we can't tell that as far as I know so I would at least try and give the child an enjoyable life as best I could.

After all that is said I don't have to deal with this anyway because I don't want anymore kids so all of this means nothing if you think of it that way

*As long as I don't get raped and as long as I stay with my husband.*

gizmojumpjet · Post by **gizmojumpjet** » 2005-08-19 06:51pm

Whatever wifey wants, wifey gets, but I'd be in favor of ending it.

The Guid · Post by **The Guid** » 2005-08-19 06:55pm

I would deliberate long and hard but I would support more a decision to terminate the pregnancy. Even if it is a "murder" as some of my fellow Christians claim the soul is better off without the body in this case.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2005-08-19 07:23pm

I'd get rid of it, I know I'm not ready to deal with a child with that disorder. It's her choice, but I'd let her know my thoughts on it and why, but in the end, it's up to her.

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2005-08-19 08:01pm

Not my decision to make & I’d support my girlfriend what ever decision she made, hypothetically though whilst I would love and care for any children of mine to the best of my ability, whatever problems they have, I’d still like to reduce the chances of having a child with a condition such as downs which would so limit there potential participation in life as such I’d choose to abort.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2005-08-19 08:05pm

I couldn't bring myself to ask her to get rid of it. In any reasonably important place, I'll support the right of a woman to choose what she does with her child, but it's my own flesh and blood.

Besides this, I doubt I'd date the kind of woman who would favor an abortion in such a situation anyways.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-08-19 08:26pm

Yes, I would.

At the first trimester, I don't believe any sort of personality or consciousness has even begun to develop, so I wouldn't see it as any more a murder than a menstruation or an ejaculation - and to deliberately continue to develop what would assuredly be a very disadvantaged person seems incompassionate to me.

Akaramu Shinja · Post by **Akaramu Shinja** » 2005-08-19 09:09pm

Yep. I'd even consider some kind of care adoption thing for children like this, as I personally don't think I have what it takes to deal with it. Does this make me a horrible person?