Early prenatal genetic testing has become routine during pregnancy. The mother’s blood is drawn and a test is run to check for chromosomal abnormalities in the unborn baby.
However, there’s new evidence showing that, on average, the tests are wrong 85 percent of the time. Healthy babies are being aborted because women aren’t being properly informed on the accuracy and the process behind the maternal blood testing.
Genetic Testing During Pregnancy
As early as 10 weeks, women are able to order genetic screening for their babies. Many women choose to get the noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down syndrome, Patau syndrome, Edwards syndrome and other chromosomal conditions.
This allows them to not only check on the health of their baby, but to be given an early detection of the sex.
False Positives
A shocking report by The New York Times shows that genetic testing can be wrong 85 percent of the time. That’s on average. Some tests hold a much higher false positive rate.
For example, Prader-Willi syndrome has a 93 percent false positive rate, and DiGeorge syndrome is wrong 81 percent of the time. (1)
Annually, hundreds of thousands of women are relying on these microdeletion tests to determine whether they should proceed with their pregnancies. However, in order to be sure of a diagnosis, women need to undergo more invasive testing.
Unfortunately, these invasive genetic screenings cost thousands of dollars and have a chance of miscarriage.
Possibly due to the fact that the more extensive tests occur after a state’s abortion ban, many mothers choose not to proceed with the invasive prenatal testing.
Consequently, women have received an abortion, then found out they were carrying a perfectly healthy baby.
The healthcare industry is aware of the issue with false positives, yet they fail to provide women with the knowledge of this possibility before they take the tests. As a result, women may believe the official sounding laboratory results over any advice from their doctor.
False Negatives
Doctors are supposed to warn women that a negative result shouldn’t be taken as proof that their baby doesn’t have a genetic disorder.
Though they often don’t tell the patient much more than what’s written on the paper given to them by the testing company. This may be due to lack of knowledge on the product.
There are actually lawsuits where the complainants won millions of dollars because they would’ve aborted their baby if they knew it would have developmental issues.
That’s heart wrenching and should be a form of child abuse. No child, no matter its mental capacity, should have to live through being told that they aren’t good enough and therefor not wanted.
Billion Dollar Industry
What started off as a blood test to screen for Down syndrome, turned into manufacturers racing to offer a product more appealing than their competitors.
According to The New York Times, these tests were “usually wrong”. And yet they serve more than a third of the women in the United States.
When The New York Times reached out to some of the largest prenatal testing companies with their discovery of data, the companies declined interviews. Instead, they sent written statements.
They asserted that patients should always review their results with their health care provider. Furthermore, they cautioned that the tests were meant to identify high risk patients, and further testing would be necessary. They were not meant to be the sole diagnosis.
This shows that their testing for low risk and rare conditions are pointless. Its’ a marketing tool to entice women into getting screenings that cost $1,700 each. With words like “total confidence”, “peace of mind”, and “highly accurate”, what woman wouldn’t be lured into their deceptive web?
With these blood tests being so lucrative, companies are aggressively marketing their products. They do so without informing the doctors or the patient that they have limitations.
They claim that the tests have a 99 percent sensitivity rate. Although, this doesn’t mean the same as accuracy.
Sensitivity is the detection rate—the probability a test result will be positive when an abnormality is present. But this test also inadvertently detects abnormality in a health fetus.” (2)
These companies fail to point out the difference between the two. They show their best results while leaving out the ones that didn’t perform as well.
What’s even more alarming, is the FDA doesn’t regulate these noninvasive prenatal tests. Yet in 2020, one company screened over 400,000 on solely one type of microdeletion. And this number is expected to double by 2025.
Feeling Pressured
With abortions being allowed in the event of a disability, mothers are faced with undue pressure. A significant number of women have reported that they were pressured by their doctor or family members to schedule an abortion after receiving news of their child’s diagnosis.
A friend was told by her doctor that her son was going to be born without a kidney and a serious heart defect. In his next breath, he asked what day she would be available for termination of the pregnancy. There was no questioning of how she felt of the matter. He acted as though it was a done deal.
Society claims they’re inclusive and love diversity. In contrast, this pressure to exterminate anything that isn’t perfect is sending the opposite message.
What Are the Options?
In the United States, about 3 percent of all babies are effected by major birth defects. With today’s technology, many of these issues can be fixed.
Also, people living with disabilities have experienced drastic improvements in life expectancy in.
The life span of people with Down syndrome has dramatically improved over the past few decades. Alongside the quality of life. Numerous people with Down syndrome are now able to keep a job and live independently with minimum support necessary.
Genetic Counseling
Studies show that a large amount of women make decisions on how to proceed with their pregnancies without being properly informed. Health agencies are beginning to recommend pre-test genetic counseling to assist with this issue.
Healthcare providers need to prepare women with up-to-date and accurate information on how the tests work, and their likelihood of false positives and false negatives.
All pros and cons of ordering a genetic test should be addressed, as well as psychosocial support for the results they may receive.
Genetic Carrier Screening
If you’re truly concerned about what type of genetic disorder that your baby may have, it’s best to get a genetic carrier screening done before pregnancy.
This would show if you carry any genetic traits and give you time to process the information and make an informed decision.
Is Genetic Testing Necessary?
For most couples, genetic testing isn’t necessary.
Research has shown that about 50 percent of all birth defects are caused by poor prenatal nutrition.
A few examples are:
- Congenital heart disease– Can be caused by a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).
- Cerebral Palsy– Scientists have discovered a link between a magnesium deficiency and cerebral palsy.
- Neural tube defects– Two of the most common are spina bifida and anencephaly. These defects are caused by a deficiency in vitamin B9 (folate) and vitamin B12 (cobalamin).
- Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia– This may occur if the mother doesn’t consume enough calcium, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B12, or selenium.
- Gastroschisis– Common among infants whose mothers didn’t consume enough zinc during pregnancy.
- Blindness– Vitamin A is essential for good eye health. Babies born to women who do not consume enough vitamin A are at higher risk of poor eye health and even blindness.
- Cleft palate– Women who don’t have enough vitamin B6 and vitamin A are more likely to have a baby with this defect.
To help prevent these defects in children, women need to make nutrition their top priority. It’s most effective when implemented before pregnancy, but makes a great impact no matter when you start.
Health agencies recommend women who are planning to get pregnant take a prenatal right away, and continue to take it throughout the pregnancy. FSAs and HSAs even allow it on their list of non-taxable medical expenses.
However, it’s imperative that you get a high quality prenatal. Many prenatal vitamins are made with synthetic ingredients (like folic acid instead of folate), and some have been found to contain lead. (3)
For my first pregnancy, my natural health practitioner recommended I use a prenatal made with organic fruits and vegetables called Pure Synergy PureNatal. Unfortunately, the price and the fact that I needed to take it twice a day didn’t fit with my current life situation. After a month, I switched to MegaFood Baby & Me 2. It was cheaper, easier to take, and still excellent quality.
The Ethical Debate on Genetic Testing
Though testing can have good benefits, allowing for the couple to prepare for an abnormality or early treatment, it’s been taken too far.
Many women are treating their pregnancies as though they are shopping for a new puppy.
They want to know the gender, color, and health condition before they agree to the purchase. There are states that have made it a law that abortions can’t be scheduled due to the color or gender of the baby. Why was that ever necessary?
In the United States, about 67 percent of Down syndrome babies are aborted. A shocking 90 to 92 percent in the UK. A small percent of abortions are also performed for repairable conditions such as cleft palate and clubfoot.
Our culture has decided that if a baby isn’t perfect, than it’s “defective stock” and better off dead.
When does it become an issue of eugenics? By doing this, how are we any better than Nazi Germany with their death camps aimed to eliminate those who they believe would degenerate their genes?
Think About it
Is the small chance of a disability worth the risk of aborting a healthy baby? Especially when the tests are wrong more often than not?
Our culture needs to stop focusing on how to get rid of the problem. Instead of relying on medical tests to tell you what may be wrong, women need to educate themselves and prioritize their health before getting pregnant.