New blood test for fetal DNA can identify Down Syndrome at 10 weeks into pregnancy --

[BainsBane]

69. Boy

My knowledge of any of this is close to non-existent. I didn't know what you said about higher rates of still birth. My experience is in having known people with Downs and working in special education for a time many years ago.

If as you say they can't be "weeded out," what is the purpose of the testing discussed in this article?
I remember my mother telling me that our neighbor thought her son's condition had been brought about because she had come into contact with someone with German Measles while pregnant. I don't know if that is actually even a cause.

I can imagine family challenges are great, and it's not my place to tell someone they should have to give birth and raise a Downs child. I do not, however, think humanity is served by doing away with all supposed disabilities and deficiencies. Firstly, normality is socially constructed, not absolute. Not long ago, doctors considered homosexuality a disorder. Imagine if the ability to screen for sexuality had existed back then? And what if scientists devise tests to determine predisposition toward mental illness, undesirable personality traits, or genetic characteristics that make someone less than beautiful? I suppose it's the ongoing dilemma, certainly not limited to genetics, of ethics in the face of rapidly advancing scientific capability.