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According to this week's news, the number of babies born with Down's Syndrome in the UK is on the increase.
As someone who has never had to face that sort of issue first hand, it's hard to know how I'd react. Anyone out there got experiences to share about the decision to abort or not, or about living with a diabled child?
No direct experience, BUT close friends decided to do the test. The problem was that no one had talked through properly about the implications.
It appears the medical profession likes to do "routine" tests, our friends where then imformed that they had a 1 in 200 of have a down's child. The thing is that is still not very certain - and the thought of then considering an abortion was quite shocking.
Looking it that way - there is nothing "routine" about being given this information...
Friends of mine were told the same thing Batman - they didn't take the test and their child was born with no problems. I think the NHS spook older ( and to be honest my mates are not that old, early 30) parents with the whole Down's Syndrome thing.
I used to teach disabled children aged 3 -5. They were great and full of life even through most of them were non verbal children with sever movment restrictions. Family life seemed to take 2 routes within their families, either the family compleatly focused around them, their medical needs etc or the child simply fitted in to the "normal" family life/routines. It always interested that families fell into these 2 catagories and why that was.
This is going to sound cheesy but kids, able body or diabled are all unique and as so bring unique qualities to a family unit.
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