There has been considerable news coverage recently about Kate Cox, the Texas woman seeking an abortion while carrying a child diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Her doctor, Dr. Damla Karsan, sued the State of Texas to pre-authorize an abortion.
Texas law, according to the Dec. 11 Texas Supreme Court ruling in the case, provides significant latitude for physicians to treat pregnant patients according to their own “reasonable medical judgment” when the patient “has a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places the female at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.” The court ruling stated: “A woman who meets the medical-necessity exception need not seek a court order to obtain an abortion.”
In the ongoing news cycle surrounding Kate Cox’s case, many articles have made statements regarding Trisomy 18 which experts state are inaccurate or out of date. For instance, many articles describe Trisomy 18 as “fatal”, “lethal”, or “incompatible with life.”
Recently AAPLOG ( the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists) released a video to clarify many of these misconceptions. In the video, physicians share their experiences in caring for and treating children with Trisomy 18. They emphasize that each child is unique, with unique medical needs, and there is no uniform outcome. While some may live for only a short time, others may live for years with appropriate medical interventions. One such child is Faith, a teenager with Trisomy 18, who appears in the video, along with her parents Brad and Jesi Smith, who share their story.
The news of a positive prenatal test result such as Trisomy 18 is no doubt challenging and difficult for parents. Research indicates most parents respond to the news of a prenatal diagnosis in ways that indicate they were traumatized. These parents deserve time to process the news, receive accurate and up-to-date information on treatment and care options, and the offer of support for the journey ahead. In the video, Dr. Christina Francis, an OB/GYN and president of AAPLOG, emphasized the need for parents to be “presented all of those options and accurate information about these options.”
A growing network of organizations is helping to close this gap with a parent care coordination service to help parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of any sort, including Trisomy 18.
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Parent Care Coordinators (PCCs) provide a free service of practical guidance, information, and referrals so that parents understand what is normal, what is possible, and what might be helpful as they carry to term. Special attention is given to assisting the parents in the development of a birth and newborn care plan, and support is provided for one year following the birth. Parent Care Coordinator help is available without regard to the diagnosis or prognosis. This service model was developed by Be Not Afraid, an organization that has helped hundreds of families who have received prenatal diagnoses.
In a survey of parents who received the support of a Parent Care Coordinator, 96% of respondents agreed the support was important to their personal well-being and 100% would encourage other parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis to carry to term. One parent shared that “Regardless of our outcome, it was so important to me to follow through with our journey and do everything in a way that honored the little life I was growing, regardless of the length of that life.”
Tweet This: 100% of parents who receive Parent Care Coordinator support after a prenatal diagnosis would encourage other parents to carry to term-Survey
Parents who have received a prenatal diagnosis and would like to consider the assistance of a Parent Care Coordinator may visit PrenatalDiagnosis.org to learn more and connect for support.
Editor's note: Gary Thome serves on the Board for Heartbeat International, which manages Pregnancy Help News.
