Expansive study confirms prenatal testing leads to eugenic abortions

An expansive study across more than 30 countries has confirmed that if prenatal testing is made readily available, the number of eugenic abortions will increase.

Dr. Brian Skotko — director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and a Harvard-educated, board-certified medical geneticist, author, and public speaker — is one of the authors of the study. He is a leading researcher on Down syndrome and serves on the Honorary Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress.

Key Takeaways:

• A study examining data from 33 countries over 30 years reveals that prenatal testing has had a major impact on eugenic abortions in the worst way.

• Although resources are often available to help parents raise their child diagnosed with a disability, doctors don't always make them available.

• A disturbing mindset of fear and ableism that teaches parents a child with a disability is something to be feared and destroyed.

The Details:

Along with several other doctors, Skotko published a study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, which examined data over 30 years from 33 countries.

"We found that when countries expand access and reimbursement for prenatal screening, there is a corresponding decrease in live births of babies with Down syndrome," he wrote on Facebook, announcing the study. "Interestingly, religiosity, public opinion on abortion, and even reimbursement for abortion services were not strong predictors."

The study found:

As countries made prenatal screening more available and financially covered by their governments, we modeled the impact on the 'reduction percentage' for DS — that is, the percentage of fetuses with DS that were not born as a consequence of selective terminations ... [i]f a country were to expand the availability or reimbursement of prenatal screening for DS, while all other factors are constant, that country should also expect to have fewer live births with DS as a consequence.

Why It Matters:

Skotko has previously spoken about how abortion is drastically decreasing the number of babies born with Down syndrome across the globe — often with full approval of government leaders.

"The reduction of babies with Down syndrome has steadily risen in Europe over the past 40 years to over 50% today — as high as 83% in Spain, 80% in Portugal, and 71% in Italy. New Zealand and Australia closely follow, at 71% and 66%, respectively," he said. "We found that abortion coverage for a Down syndrome diagnosis was covered fully by government funding in 52.4% of these countries in 1990, and that number increased to 73.8% in 2021.”

Protect Babies With Down Syndrome

Prenatal testing has had a major impact on eugenic abortions in the worst way.

What should be a pro-life tool, used to allow families to medically and emotionally prepare for a child with disabilities or abnormalities, has been hijacked to kill anyone deemed "defective" or "unfit." And yet, it isn't solely the parents' fault; the way a diagnosis is delivered can have devastating consequences, with some doctors even intentionally giving parents inaccurate, negative information in hopes of convincing them to abort.

Although resources are available to help parents raise their child, doctors don't always make them available.

“The science of prenatal testing has been on a bullet train in recent years, but these resources and support for expectant couples trail behind on a Conestoga wagon," Skotko said. "Expectant couples have indicated that the information that they do receive from clinicians about genetic conditions is often incomplete, inaccurate, and dated. Negative memories of these diagnostic conversations are often more vivid, intense, and visceral than people’s recollection of tragedies like 9/11.”

And yet, in his work, he is constantly reminded of why he chose the career he has: to ensure that each person is valued.

“They teach me to pause when I am tempted to rush, to feel when I want to rationalize, to cherish bronze when I am looking for gold,” he said. “Yet the Down syndrome community pushes me beyond just happy life lessons; its families have gifted me a deep sense of purpose. Rather than focusing on my ego-centric dramas, I am reminded daily that our work is far from over in ensuring that all neurodiverse persons are valued.”

The Bottom Line:

Prenatal testing is not the problem; it is a disturbing mindset of fear and ableism that teaches parents a child with a disability is something to be feared and destroyed, when that child deserves to live, and be cherished and loved.