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WHY CAN'T WE LOVE THEM BOTH
by Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Willke
CHAPTER 24
FETAL HANDICAP AND INFANTICIDE
Over the years, in most nations, the only reasons
receiving consistent majority support for abortion have been life of mother-90%, assault
rape and incest-75%, and fetal handicap-60%, but...
Abortion Leads to Infanticide Like Night Follows Day Why?
Because it’s completely logical. Follow this example.
Let’s assume that a mother has the amniocentesis test to be
sure that she is not carrying a Down’s syndrome baby. If it is positive, she
definitely intends to have the unborn baby killed by abortion. In this instance, the test
is normal.
But, when the baby is born, he turns out to have Down’s
syndrome. The test was mistaken. Now what? If she had identified the baby’s condition
before birth, she would have "solved" the problem by killing the tiny patient.
Now the baby is breathing air. Now the diagnosis is definite. Now
there is also no danger to the mother as a result of the "procedure." Why not
kill the baby now?
Same Patient Same Problem Same Solution
But who could justify
such killing?
The Australian ethicist, Peter Singer, wrote that the
sanctity-of-life view, the "religious mumbo-jumbo," should be stripped away.
"Species membership in Homo-sapiens is not
morally relevant." If we "compare a dog or a pig to a severely defective
infant," he said, "we often find the non-human to have superior
capacities." To Singer, quality of life is the only guide. P. Singer, "Sanctity of Life or Quality of Life?" Pediatrics, vol.
73, no. 1, July 1983, pp. 128-129
- Joseph Fletcher suggested using the I.Q. measurement and allow
those with an I.Q. under 20 or perhaps 40 to be declared non-human.
- They followed Nobel
Laureate, James Watson, the man who cracked the genetic code: "Because of the present
limits of such detection methods, most birth defects are not discovered until birth.
"If a child were not declared alive until three days after birth, then all parents
could be allowed the choice . . . the doctor could allow the child to die, if the parents
so choose, and save a lot of misery and suffering." "Children from the Laboratory," J. Watson, AMA Prism, Ch. 3, p.
2, May 1973
But isn’t it cruel to allow a handicapped child to be born — to a
miserable life?
The assumption that handicapped people enjoy life less than
"normal" persons has been shown to be false. A well-documented investigation has
shown that there is no difference between handicapped and normal persons in their degree
of life satisfaction, outlook of what lies immediately ahead, and vulnerability to
frustration.
In a series of 150 unselected spina bifida patients
questioned as older children, all were asked whether their handicaps made life not worth
living and should they have been "allowed to die" after birth. Their unanimous
response was forceful. Of course they wanted to live! In fact, they thought the question
was ridiculous. W. Peacock, Pers. Comm. to D. Shewmon
in "Active Voluntary Euthanasia," Issues in Law & Medicine, 1987.
Dr. C. Everett Koop, prior to becoming Surgeon
General of the U.S., spent his life as a pediatric surgeon repairing "nature’s
mistakes." For some children this meant 30 or more operations. At one reunion of the
"kids" he repaired (with all the pain and disability these entailed), he asked
if they had to start over, would they want the surgery again? These young people
unanimously said "yes." Personal
communication to author
But is such
expensive care worth the cost?
Do you treat, care for, and help a sick or disabled person, or do
you kill him? Do you measure the value of a person’s life in money? Or in utilitarian
usefulness? The cost to society to care for all the physically and mentally handicapped
among us is but a tiny fraction of the cost to society for the morally deformed among us.
Professor Jerome Lejeune, discoverer of the chromosomal pattern of Down’s syndrome
once related to us a story he had heard from a geneticist colleague which illustrates this
well:
"Many years ago, my father was a Jewish physician in Braunau,
Austria. On one particular day, two babies had been delivered by one of his colleagues.
One was a fine, healthy boy with a strong cry. His parents were extremely proud and happy.
The other was a little girl, but her parents were extremely sad, for she was a Mongoloid
baby. I followed them both for almost fifty years. The girl grew up, living at home, and
was finally destined to be the one who nursed her mother through a very long and lingering
illness after a stroke. I do not remember her name. I do, however, remember the boy’s
name. He died in a bunker in Berlin. His name was Adolf Hitler."
What about spina bifida?
Dr. D. McLone & Colleagues reported on a series of almost 1,000
unselected cases of spina bifida which they had aggressively treated.
- 75% had normal intelligence
- 80% were walking by school age
- 90% had bowel and bladder control by school age
- 99% of parents were satisfied with the treatment
D. McLone et al., "Concepts in the Management of "Spina
Bifida," Concepts in Pediatric Neuro- surgery 33 (1986): 359-370
And if the parents don’t want such an infant, there are
organizations like the Spina Bifida Association of America, with over 100 couples on its
waiting list, wanting to adopt an infant with spina bifida. (Write J. Grafstron, 1955
Florida Ave., Xenia, OH 45385.)
The Michael Fund, 400 Penn Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15146 can give you
a similar waiting list.
What of Down’s
Syndrome?
"Upwards of 80% of Down’s babies will
occur to younger mothers" under 35. Adams et al.,
"Down’s Syndrome, Recent Trends," JAMA, vol. 246, no. 7, Aug. 14,
1981, pp. 758-760
The mother is not solely the cause. "In about
30% of the cases, the father has been responsible for the extra 21st chromosome in
Down’s Syndrome." The older the father, the higher the percent. Roberts et al., "Midtrimester Amniocentesis," Jour. of
Repro. Med., vol. 28, no. 3, Mar. 1983, p. 168
Even so: at a maternal age of 30, 99.9% of babies do not have it, at
a maternal age of 36, 99.6% of babies do not have it, at a maternal age of 40, 99.1% of
babies do not have it. There is a list of waiting adoptive parents for any Down’s
baby (see Michael Fund above).
One of the truly gratifying developments in the last half-century
has been the mainstreaming of Down’s people. These pleasant and functional people now
have an average life expectancy of 55 years. Only 2% are born with fatal heart defects,
and less than 5% with severe mental retardation. Most now can lead semi or completely
independent lives and enter the workforce in some type of supported employment. Others are
competitively employed.
How many handicapped
babies are born?
Every year in the U.S. about 4 million babies are
born. Of these, 5,000 have Down’s Syndrome, 1,500 have Spina Bifida and 2,000 have
Cystic Fibrosis. JAMA, Apr. 10, 1991, Vol. 265,
No. 14, pp. 1797-8 CDC -MMWR, Apr. 21, 1989, Vol. 38, No. 15, p. 264Med. Tribune, May 15, 1989, Vol. 30, No. 14, p. 1
What
about Rubella defects?
The classic studies on this were done during a major Rubella
epidemic. Of the 16.9% of children who develop defects when their mothers get Rubella
while pregnant:
- 50% had hearing loss, most correctable by hearing aids.
- 50% had heart defects, almost all surgically correctable.
- 30% had cataracts, often one-sided. Most had fair vision.
- Mental retardation was
1.5% compared to 1% in a non-affected population.
Rendle-Short, Lancet, vol. 2, 1964, p. 373
What if a woman receives Rubella vaccine while pregnant?
There are no reported cases of significant damage to
the babies who were born after such vaccination. For example, "none of the live-born
infants had serologic or clinical evidence of congenital rubella." S. Wyall & K. Herrmann, "Inadvertent Rubella Vaccination of
Pregnant Women," Jour. Amer. Med. Assn., vol. 225, 1973, p. 1472
Rubella Vaccine probably poses no threat to fetuses
whose mothers are vaccinated around the time of conception. All newborns tested in this
study were negative. S. Sheppard, "Rubella
Vaccine," Br. Med J. 292:727, 1986.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control, U.S. Public
Health Services, in a report covering 1971 through 1982, reported on 959 pregnant women
who were vaccinated while pregnant. They reported no evidence of Rubella-induced defects.
The very few abnormalities found were "expected" in such a large number. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 32, no. 33,
Aug. 26, 1983
What about AIDS?
Only about 25% of babies born of HIV-infected mothers are born
infected. Sadly, there is no cure.
Does her age
increase other birth defects?
Happily not, with the one exception of Down’s.
A major study of 27,000 cases of birth defects demonstrated clearly that older women (over
35) have no greater risk than younger women. This survey looked at 43 defects including
spina bifida, cleft palate, heart defects and limb deformities. It even showed that
hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, patent ductus arteriosis and dislocated hips decline after
age 30. P. Baird, U. of Brit. Columbia, Lancet, Mar.
2, 1991
Is it
possible to "cleanse the gene pool?"
Any talk about breeding out genetic diseases is a
lot of nonsense. Seriously affected persons are unlikely to marry and have children; the
genes are passed along by carriers. For instance, there are 40 carriers for every person
with sickle cell anemia. If every victim of this disease were eliminated, it would require
750 years just to cut the incidence in half; to stamp it out altogether would require
200,000 abortions for every 500,000 couples. Because each "normal" person is the
carrier of three or four bad genes, the only way to eliminate genetic diseases would be to
sterilize or abort everybody. Dr. Hymie Gordon,
Professor of Genetics, Mayo Clinic
Will maternal X-rays harm the baby?
"Interruption of pregnancy is never justified
because of the radiation risk to the embryo/fetus from a diagnostic X-ray exam, abdominal
or peripheral." Policy Statement, Amer. College of
Radiology, AMA News, Nov. 1976, p. 12
How do parents emotionally handle the abortion of a handicapped baby?
Very poorly. One study reported maternal depression
of 92% and paternal depression of 82%, plus a 30% incidence of marital separation after
the abortion. Blumberg et al., "Psychiatric
Sequelae of Abortion for Genetic Indication," Amer. Jour. OB/GYN, vol. 122,
no. 7, Aug. 1975, pp. 799-780
How are unborn babies tested for genetic defects?
By amniocentesis, the alpha-fetoprotein test, and chorionic villi
sampling. And later in pregnancy by ultrasound exams.
What is amniocentesis?
It involves taking a small amount of fluid from the baby’s
amniotic sac through a needle inserted into the mother’s abdomen and uterine wall.
The cells in the fluid are cultured and examined a month later. Certain chemicals in the
fluid can also be measured. It is done in the midtrimester to diagnose certain conditions.
What fetal conditions can be treated in the midtrimester?
Both Methylmalonic Acidemia and Biotin deficiency can be discovered
in mid pregnancy. Neither, however, is treatable until later in the third trimester.
Toxoplasmosis infection of the mother can infect her
fetal baby. Treatment in late pregnancy (after the 5th month) can protect the baby. J. Bishara et al., Toxoplasmosis, Pediatrics in Review, vol.
12, no. 8, Feb. 1991
What about third trimester amniocentesis?
This is quite different. These are safe, and they are done to help
treat and save the lives of both baby and mother. Then it is done for Rh disease,
diabetes, fetal lung maturity, etc.
Is amniocentesis safe?
In England and other countries the test itself kills
upwards of 1% of the babies tested. Opinions differ. A very reputable, large English study
found that there were 14 fetal deaths in the amniocentesis groups compared to 5 in the
control group, severe maternal bleeding in 37 compared to 12, ruptured membranes in 0.5%
compared to none, subsequent spontaneous abortion in 2.7% compared to 1.4%, and Rh
antibodies developed in 9 compared to 2. Severe postpartum respiratory distress occurred
after birth in 30 compared to 9, with 24 major orthopedic abnormalities compared to 1. The
overall increased risk to the baby was 300% and the cumulative overall risk of all
negative factors to both mother and child was 9.2% compared to 3.3% in the control group.
One must also add to this the false positive and false negative test results which
resulted in additional "needless" abortion of normal babies. Royal College of OB/GYN, "An Assessment of Hazards of
Amniocentesis," British Jour. OB/GYN, vol. 85, Supplement N.2., 1978
In a large follow-up study eight years later,
"spontaneous abortion rate was 1.7% in the group with amniocentesis, and 0.7% in the
control group." "Randomized Trial of
Amniocentesis in 4606 Low Risk Women" Lancet, 1287, June 7, 1986
While the U.S. studies found fewer problems. Roberts et al., "Midtrimester Amniocentesis," Jour. of
Rep. Med., vol. 28, no. 3, Mar. 1983, pp. 167-168
There have been no newer large scale studies. Your author has a
daily radio commentary. Every time he has discussed this problem, we receive a number of
letters recounting the needless loss of normal babies from the test.
What
is Alpha-Fetoprotein testing, and why is it done?
It tests the mother’s blood and can reveal that
she is probably carrying a child with either an open spine (spina bifida) or anencephaly.
It must be done on blood drawn between her 16th and 18th week of pregnancy. Of 1,000
women, 50 will have positive results. The blood test must then be repeated. This time,
only 30 will be positive. An ultrasound test will then be done and will clear 15, leaving
15 still positive. Then these mothers must have an amniocentesis (1% of babies die from
the test). After the necessary four-week wait, the results will pinpoint 1 or 2 babies who
have the handicaps, who are 20-22 weeks old, and who weigh 1 to 1-1/2 pounds each. Even
after all of this testing, some of the babies aborted will be normal, and some of the
"normals" will be born with the handicap, for the test is not always correct.
The test is available, however, is being used, and is required by law in some places. The
main problem, even for those who favor abortion, is the level of anxiety created as the
elimination process continues. Many who are "cleared" still don’t believe
they are "OK" and get abortions on the suspicion that the tests were wrong.
Another report found false positive and negative results varying from 4% to 17.5%. Bradley, et al., N. Eng. J. Med., vol. 315, no. 3, p. 193,
July 17, 1986.
What is chorionic villi
sampling?
This sampling, or biopsy, is an exam which involves passing a small
instrument through the cervix, in early pregnancy, to cut away a very small piece of the
edge of the tissue surrounding the baby. Since this tissue is a part of the baby’s
body, it has the same genetic makeup as the rest of the baby. The same information
previously could only be obtained by amniocentesis. This allows the parents to "find
out" much earlier in pregnancy (9 to 11 weeks).
Is this chorionic
villi sampling safe?
In the 1980s, when it was first used, it resulted in
the loss of the baby in 3.5% to 12% of the times. M.
Golbus, "Initial Chorionic Biopsy Problems Being Resolved," OB-GYN News, Nov.
15, 1984, p. 4
As doctors became more expert, the percent of babies killed dropped
to the 2-4% range. Also, a British study reported 3% false positives, i.e., 3%
tested abnormal, were killed by abortion and then found to be normal. Br. Med., L. C. van Prooijen-Knegt, 1987 N.Y. Times, G.
Kolata, Oct. 9, 1987
It can cause fetal loss through severe
oligohydramnios. This is a slow and continuing leakage of amniotic fluid resulting in
"spontaneous" abortion at 4 to 12 weeks. R.
Wapner, "Amniotic Leaks & Fetal Loss Linked to CVS," Medical Tribune, July
28, 1988
But then studies from Oxford, Milan, Chicago and Taiwan reported
clusters of birth defects in infants on whom the test was done. These included missing or
shortened fingers and arms, malformed mouths, and brain abnormalities.
"3.3% had major congenital abnormalities."
B. Burton et al., "Limb Abnormalities With
CVS," OB-GYN News, May 1992, vol. 79,
no. 5, p. 726
And a National Institute
of Health Consortium. Am. J. OB-GYN, vol. 169,
no. 1, July 1993
Then why do so many doctors push to have these tests done?
To protect their wallets. Doctors have been sued because they did
not do the tests and did not discover a handicapped fetus so she could abort. This has
produced a compulsion among doctors to have the tests done so as to protect themselves.
But what if she won’t abort, even if the baby is handicapped?
Tell your doctor you don’t want to risk the
life of your baby to satisfy your curiosity. Tell him to write in his records that he has
offered the test to you, explained it, and that you refused it. Then you sign his records
with witnesses. With this, he’ll quit asking. "If abortion is outlawed,
amniocentesis programs in midtrimester would close, since the main therapeutic prerogative
would have been eliminated." Golbus, "The
Current Scope of Antenatal Diagnosis," Hospital Practice, April 1982
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