(Washington Examiner) Kate Cox, the Texas woman who sued the state to abort her child diagnosed with Trisomy 18, has been invited to the State of the Union speech, signaling the president’s intention to promote the abortion of babies who receive a prenatal diagnosis. At issue is Texas law, which permits physicians to make medical interventions to save the life or bodily function of a woman, even if these result in the unfortunate loss of her unborn child. Children’s prenatal conditions rarely pose a unique risk to the mother’s health, and Texas law does not permit the intentional ending of an unborn child’s life when the pregnancy does not threaten the mother’s health.
Parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis are frequently told their child’s condition is hopeless and treatment futile. Words such as lethal, fatal, and “incompatible with life” are used to describe their child. What they are often not told is the reality is not necessarily so bleak.
For starters, test results are not always accurate. Prenatal testing is often initiated in the first trimester of pregnancy using tests that are known to have very high false positive rates, as has been noted by peer-reviewed research, the Food and Drug Administration, and even the New York Times. Unfortunately, parents often are not aware of these test inaccuracies, resulting in needless trauma and, at times, the tragic abortion of healthy babies.
When a prenatal diagnosis is confirmed, like any parent upon hearing their child is sick, parents want to learn what care and treatment options are available. The good news is that medicine is advancing rapidly in the care of these children both before and after birth, with specialized treatments becoming more widely available. It is sadly ironic that the Biden administration is promoting abortion for babies with prenatally diagnosed conditions even as children’s hospitals are running TV and billboard ads featuring life-saving fetal surgeries for some of these same children.
While not all conditions can be cured, medical advances can improve the lives of many children. In the case of Trisomy 18, physicians who care for and treat these children emphasize that each child is unique with specific medical needs, and with appropriate medical care, some of these children may live for decades.
[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]
The news of a prenatal diagnosis can be challenging and even traumatizing for parents. They deserve accurate information on options, time to make clearheaded decisions, support, and hope for the future. Their children deserve to be valued and treated according to their needs, the same as other children. Not only do children fare better when treated like any other patient, but research shows parents fare better emotionally when choosing to continue carrying their child rather than having an abortion. In almost every circumstance, these children are very much wanted by their parents, so it makes sense for society to prioritize valuing and serving both parents and children.
Tweet This: Parents who get a prenatal diagnosis deserve accurate info on options, time to make clearheaded decisions, support, and hope for the future.
For many years, pregnancy help organizations have served parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis. A growing number have developed specialties in this area. Their trained staff understand the journey parents experience and offer practical, emotional, and spiritual support throughout pregnancy and beyond. They help parents support their child’s care according to their desires and values. They connect parents with additional organizations and offer bereavement care for parents who lose a child.
Recently, another Texas couple (who wish to remain anonymous) received the same Trisomy 18 test result as did Kate Cox. This couple’s doctor suggested monitoring their baby and preparing for any needs she may have. The couple was also connected with a pregnancy help organization where a compassionate nurse helped them understand what they were experiencing and anticipated their needs each step of the way. Baby Grace died naturally and peacefully in her mother’s womb a few weeks later. At her funeral, her parents celebrated her life with friends and family. Even in her short time, Grace’s life had meaning and value. She was loved.
A partnership of pregnancy help organizations has built the website prenataldiagnosis.org, offering relevant information for parents receiving a prenatal diagnosis and, more importantly, connections with these specially trained nurses and pregnancy help organizations that can support them on the journey ahead. In a survey of parents receiving this kind of support, 96% agreed the support was important to their personal well-being, and 100% would encourage other parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis to carry to term.
The focus on Kate Cox’s story serves as an important opportunity for our nation to reflect on the value of every life. Approximately 1 in 33 babies is born with a medical problem or disability. The bipartisan Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 affirms that people with disabilities have equal value and dignity to able-bodied people. Promoting the abortion of babies because of their disabilities does not and can never affirm that. As a society, we owe this equality to those with disabilities, including before they are born. These children and their parents deserve our compassionate support.
Editor's note: Gary Thome is a member of the board of directors of Heartbeat International. This article was published by the Washington Examiner and is reprinted with permission. Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
