Under Att
Is the Down syndrome commun New Zealand is on the cusp of introducing more advanced antenatal testing for Down syndrome. COEN LAMMERS investigates if the Down syndrome community should feel under attack and looks at the ethical, medical and social issues at the heart of this debate.
Antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other genetic disorders has long been a contentious issue in New Zealand and abroad. The introduction of more sophisticated and conclusive testing methods has increased termination rates and triggered a global debate around screening ethics, the value of a life with a disability and statesponsored elimination of Down syndrome. In some European countries, babies with Down syndrome have become a rarity. Iceland has reportedly reached a 100% termination rate, closely followed by Denmark where in 2017 only four new babies were born with Down syndrome. Whether you agree with the abortion policies in those countries or not, the undeniable fact is that in many countries young people with Down syndrome will soon become an uncommon sight, or worse, an unwanted anomaly.
CHAT 21 | Issue 75, Spring 2018
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