[tri-wings] Prenatal Diagnosis

I was talking to a doctor here in Australia yesterday. This particular doctor 
specialises in prenatal diagnosis and is very concerned that there isn't enough 
information "out there" regarding prenatal testing for parents or that when 
prenatal testing is done and reveals possible issues parents are not aware of 
what it means and so are overwhelmed at a time when "hormones" are not exactly 
stable (his words, but I do agree).
He has already rocked the boat here in Australia by authoring and publishing a 
book that promotes the fact that all these choices are the parents and that 
their feelings should be considered first. For example in his book he has a 
piece from an Australian family who opted to continue their pregnancy after the 
prenatal diagnosis of T-18. I loved his book because it was simple but very 
honest and factual. The medical profession here did not like it.......

We were discussing ways to educate parents and get the information "out there" 
- preferably before pregnancy. He gets the feeling that most parents just dont 
want to know unless a problem occurs. For example they go to the ultrasound 
wanting pictures and to check that everything is alright, rather than checking 
for something being wrong.

I was wondering what everyone here thought. I know I was totally ignorant about 
prenatal testing when I was pregnant and that with my first two pregnancies I 
never even considered that anything might be wrong. How do you think we could 
educate folk? Do they need education?

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.
                                            -- Josh Billings

Keep Looking For Rainbows!!
   _--_|\
 /Karen \
 \ _.--._ /
          v Karen, Mum to Alex (11 years, T-18 Mosaic)
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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