After pregnant women learn they are carrying a disabled child, do you think they should abort it?

Question

I am doing research on Abortions for my speech class and for my Comp 2 class and I am trying to hit all the points pro life and pro choice people fight about. Are abortions necessary or right for the babies that may be disable? Why or why not? Do you think disabled babies or fetuses should have the same rights as a "normal" baby or fetus? Should they be killed because they are not perfect or should they still have the same chance to live as everyone else?

Answer 1

Wow, good question I’m doing a research paper as part of my early childhood degree, rights of the parents vs. rights of the child, looking at the rights of a disable child. I have found many high profile court cases in Australia where the parents have tried to sue the doctors for allowing them to give birth to a severally disabled child. In each case they ended up loosing in the high court. In the Netherlands it is legal to advocate Euthanasia on a disabled child and this is being debated in the UK.
I think that it is very easy for people to say yes i would give birth to a severally disabled child, but they must first understand that these means that this will be a decision that will effect them every day for the rest of their lives as. Parents of severally disabled children often are left alienated by friends as it is often impossible to get care for them. They come to realise that they are stuck with the child for the rest of their living lives which also has a huge impact on their own relationships. Assessing care for severally disabled adults is almost impossible. These children will never grow and get married, find their own friends, get a job or even be able to care for themselves. They will always be 100% dependent on others.
After reading the other responses I think that it is sad that some people will make judgments on others because of their own religious beliefs. This is a decision that should be left up to each individual parent and make the decision which is best for them the wellbeing of the child.

Incidentally the united nations convention on the rights of the child article 6. States 1. States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.
2. States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

HERE THE KEY WORDS ARE MAXIMUM AND DEVELOPMENT?

Answer 2

My cousin was born blind and mentally slow. The doctors said she would not live past her first year. She is now 22. Some people may have thought that she would be a burden on society and/or her parents but shes the opposite. She lives and works in a home for the disabled. She makes a paycheck. She also does a little work on the side translating local restaurants menus into Braille. Personally I think all children have a right to live disabled or not but I guess its the womans choice on whether or not she wants to care for a disabled child.

Answer 3

If the mother feels she can cope with the child and continue supporting any other child she may have and doesn't except everyone else to help out all the time..., then why not ? if she's wants it,.
If however she doesn't want it , she shouldn't be pressured to have the baby by anyone,( the father, doctors, nurse or anti-abortionist)-- lets face it she is probably going be the one who looks after the baby the most and it's a huge responsibility- that will be there for a long time.
Also you got to consider the baby will they have any quality of life .

Answer 4

For me it isnt a option to have an abortion. No matter how hard it would be, I would love that baby no matter what was wrong with it. I chose not to have the tripple screan test because I dont think that I need to stress out about the results for the rest of the pregnancy. If my baby is disabled than I can live with that. It is my baby and i feel that God wont give me something that I cant handle. I dont look down on people that have abortions because of disabilities. I do not agree with abortions for birth control. I think it is kinda sad that people wont accept what they have been given..it seems that people stive for perfection, and wont accept less. That is fine when it comes to things you can control like work, or home improvements. But your baby is a creation of love, how could you not love it. I hope this helps you.

Answer 5

Is it okay to kill disabled people because they are disabled?? No. My last baby had several birth defects that went undetected by ultrasound during pregnancy. He is such a blessing. I would not have aborted had I known. Babies are a God given gift. It wouldn't matter if it was life threatening for me, still wouldn't. "Normal" people could learn so much from "not perfect" people. How not to judge, how to roll with the punches, how to put others needs before their own. His life makes me a better person. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Answer 6

No, I don't think they should abort it. The way I see it is this: if *I* were the disabled child, would I have wanted to be aborted? No. I would like to have the right to live just like everybody else. Even if it's not the same type of life as everybody else. I extend this right to everyone, not just the healthy.

I suppose this hits home a little as we are friends with a family whose daughter has Rett Syndrome. The question is essentially asking: should they have aborted her if they were able to test for it before she was born? No. She brings so much to them and she does enjoy life, even if it's not the same as mine. To have her life ended before she was born is just unthinkable imho.

P.S. I think Calliope meant "It's never right to kill a child".

Answer 7

Having a baby is a gift that God has given to everyone. Abortion is killing a child that cannot defend for themselves. If a mother feels that her unborn child will be disabled and she decides to abort it, that woman has no respect for life. A disabled child should receive the love that any other baby gets, be given the chance to look into the eyes of a loving family, or have a gentle touch from a caring heartful mother? Whether a baby is healthy or disabled, the mother should be strong enough to except an even special gift. The word mother was given to us woman by God to come out of the lips and hearts of all children.

Answer 8

I can't speak for other women, but I can speak for myself. If I found out I was carrying a disabled child, I would defiantly carry them full term and raise them just like any other child.

I believe everyone is entitled to an equal chance at life. I would strive to do everything in my power to give a disabled child the highest possible quality of life for as long as they were living.

Answer 9

I am pro-life, so I think a possible disability is a heartless and completely wrong reason for an abortion. When I was pregnant, I turned down all of the elective tests, because first of all, they aren't foolproof, and second, I already knew that I wouldn't be having an abortion, no matter what.

Answer 10

I will confess; when I was younger, and without children, I couldn't imagine having a mentally disabled child. Now, blind or deaf or has a heart defect, that didn't bother me. But I couldn't imagine living with a child who I thought I could never truely love and give the best life for.

Now that I have my child, and am older and more mature, I see that I was gravely wrong in my thinking. A child is a child. And on top of that, your child is YOUR CHILD no matter what! I would love a baby with any hardships as much as I love my daughter, because it is my baby. Every baby deserves to be born. If nature takes the baby away from you in miscarraige, so be it, but taking the life of your own child will forever leave a hole in a person's soul, no matter what excuses they convince themselves of. It is not natural, it is not right. A baby is a baby is a baby. Compassion is what makes us human. Compassion is what will save our race.