In a touching personal documentary and study of medical ethics which aired on 5th October on BBC Two, and can be viewed on BBC iPlayer, actress Sally Phillips explores the numerous issues surrounding a new 99% accurate prenatal test for Down’s Syndrome.
In her BBC News Article about the documentary Alison Gee writes that Sally Phillips’ son, Olly, “was 10 days old, when he was tested for Down’s syndrome – the results came back positive. But Phillips – the actress and screenwriter best known for her roles in Miranda and Bridget Jones – found life with a child with Down’s syndrome was not what the hushed tones and apologies had led her to expect.
“I was told it was a tragedy and actually it’s a comedy. It’s like a sitcom where something appears to go wrong but there’s nothing bad at the end of it,” recalls Sally.
In the UK, about 750 babies are born with Down’s syndrome every year and there are an estimated 40,000 people in the country living with the condition.
Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes, but people with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which means they develop differently and have varying levels of learning disability. Some children with Down’s syndrome have few health problems, but certain medical complications – such as heart, gut, hearing, or thyroid conditions – are more common in people with Down’s syndrome.
Alison Gee explains that “the new NIPT – Non-invasive prenatal blood test, could soon be offered to women, and is 99% accurate with no risk of miscarriage. That sounds good – but some people, including Sally Phillips, worry it will mean that more foetuses with Down’s Syndrome will be identified and aborted.”
Sally worries that her son “will grow up in a world where more parents choose not to give birth to babies diagnosed with the condition. She gives the example of Iceland, where almost everyone screens for Down’s syndrome and 100% of women who have a positive diagnosis now terminate.”
What do you think of this new prenatal test? Do you think it could lead to more women terminating foetuses with Down’s syndrome? Let us know in the comments below, over on our Facebook page or over on our Twitter.
