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Gosnell, after-birth abortion, and Down syndrome

Kermit Gosnell (AP Photo/Philadelphia Daily News, Yong Kim)Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia physician, was convicted this week for  first degree murder. A jury found him guilty of killing babies born alive after botched abortion procedures. There are academics who have cited prenatal testing and selective abortion for Down syndrome to argue that not only are Gosnell's actions not criminal, but morally justifiable. Continue Reading

Jason Collins comes out. Gay advocates want the world to know he still has a life worth living.

Last week, Jason Collins, an NBA player, came out as gay. Hopefully you find this post's headline objectionable. But why didn't the USA Today editors think so for the headline of their front-page story last week on prenatal testing for Down syndrome? Continue Reading

You are not alone

Last Thursday, USA Today featured a front-age, below-the-fold story by Liz Szabo on the recent advances in Down syndrome prenatal testing. The report shares an important recommendation for those receiving a prenatal test result.  Continue Reading

What price to do prenatal testing right?

The recent Wall Street Journal report by Christopher Weaver on Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS) included a number that suggests how much money is in the NIPS market. But what else should that money be going towards? Continue Reading

Non-NIPS tests for Down syndrome are “tarot cards”

Continuing the examination of Christopher Weaver's recent report on NIPS in the Wall Street Journal, one quote jumped off the page when I read it. Did you know that screening tests that are not NIPS are as helpful as "tarot cards"? Continue Reading

One of the most compassionate missions in the United States

Did you know that there is a national registry of families wanting to adopt a child with Down syndrome? The registry is maintained by the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (NDSAN), which has one of the most compassionate missions in the United States. Continue Reading

What is the optimal prenatal testing protocol for Down syndrome?

Last week, both the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD) issued position statements on the latest developments in prenatal testing for Down syndrome. I selected highlights here. In this post, I cover what the ISPD statement claims is "optimal" for prenatal testing for Down syndrome.  Continue Reading

Does the North Dakota law banning Down syndrome-selective abortions impose an undue burden?

I wrote last week about North Dakota's new law prohibiting sex-selective and Down syndrome-selective abortions. What will the law's impact be, and will it be struck down as unconstitutional? Continue Reading

News coverage of the Down Syndrome Information Act

World Down Syndrome Day was bookended by two pieces of legislation. The week after 3/21, North Dakota enacted its law banning Down syndrome-selective abortion, which I wrote about at this post. The week before 3/21, Kentucky passed the Down Syndrome Information Act, requiring written materials and referral to parent support organizations with every Down syndrome diagnosis, prenatal or postnatal, which I wrote about here. In a recent column in TIME magazine, the two laws were discussed. Continue Reading