What would you do? - Prenatal ASD testing.
Tests to detect autism in unborn babies could be a step closer after breakthrough research by British scientists.
A study by Cambridge University's autism research centre has found that high levels of testosterone in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women was linked to autistic traits in children.
The scientists based their findings of a study of 235 children carried out during the first eight years of their lives.
Britain's Guardian newspaper said the findings raised the possibility of doctors carrying out a prenatal amniocintesis - similar to that used to test for Down's syndrome - to screen for autism.
Director of the university's research team Professor Simon Baron-Cohen said it was time for a debate on whether the tests should go ahead and if parents should be able to terminate pregnancies if autism is detected.
"If there was a prenatel test for autism, would this be desirable." he told the newspaper.
"We should start debating this. There is a test for Down" syndrome and that is legal and parents exercise their right to choose temination, but autism is often linked with talent."
"It is a different kind of condition."
Prof Baron-Cohen said the research could also pave the way for drug companies to develop a pre-natal treatment for autism.
"There are drugs that block testosterone. But wheter we'd want to would be a different matter." he said.
From aap 2009
This debate would have to be bigger than the vaccination debate. What do you think?
Prenatal Testing
To all those who disapprove of prenatal testing for Autism, and the option of termination: this is not a case of allowing the course of Nature or the will of God to play out, this is about having a chance to prevent a child from coming into the world whose quality of life may be extremely poor.
I personally think that to know of the possiblity of casting Autism onto a yet unborn child and NOT terminating the pregnancy is cruel. A cruel, knowledgable infliction of a lifelong condition with extremely slim chance of cure and pitiful public health and early intervention funding in most western countries. For those extremists like 'Save the Savants', read the research that has proven theat autism is a condition that becomes more severe down the generations! You might think your family member with ASBERGER'S syndrome really is worth having around because they can manage their condition and actually make invaluable contributions to society. But to allow that risk to perpetuate further along the family line is cruel. Severe autism such as Kanner's and Retts is not just an unusal personality type but a debilitating condition often causing selective mutism, anxiety and self-mutilation, incontinence and intellectual regression.
There is not enough money and resources to properly administer the early intervention autistic children need and deserve, and there is no cure. So until then, let's try to do a favour the children who are already in this world with autism by not knowingly inflicting more children with the condition. Whatever your opinion on abortion, the technology to enable parents to have the CHOICE should be encouraged.
A new initial study released
How ridiculously offensive can one researcher be? Just read the article. This prenatal ASD testing only want to eliminate those you deem worthless to society. I know someone who happens to have autism, and he has an above intelligence. He is good in his own way. I think they are only giving criteria for abortion. Living with a child with autism will be full of surprises, so why not the parents experience that. After all, God gave them the precious child knowing that they can handle them.
What would you do? - Prenatal ASD testing.
One of the latest controversies within the community of those touched by autism is that of prenatal genetic testing. Some fear that this testing will lead to the termination of pregnancies of ASD fetuses, with the result being in effect the elimination of future generations of potentially ASD children. As such, they oppose the development of such tests, and are campaigning to oppose their use. I am not opposed to such tests, or any prenatal genetic testing, for a number of reasons.
When ‘we’ were pregnant, as part of the routine ultrasound process we had a nuchal translucency test, plus the fetal nose scan. The results were negative. We also had the AFP/Triple Screen test. The results came back positive. We received the call to come in for counseling.
During the counseling process we were informed that the results of the AFP/Triple Screen indicated that our baby had an elevated risk of having Down Syndrome. The risk was not ‘through the roof’, but it was definitely there. The next step would be to conduct an amniocentesis, i.e. the definitive test. We were informed that the reported risk of this test was fetal death in up to 1% of cases. How did we want to proceed?
============
To keep your interest fast with your windows 7 exams questions and answers, we have used a combination method of study.
Response to prenatal autism test - What would you do?
Interesting research
Hi, I must say I agree with proud mum. We talked about the pre-natal testing results when we were preg and knew for us it didn't change the fact that it was our baby no matter what. I am a firm believer that you get what you need, and I absolutely needed to receive this gorgeous little boy into my and my families life. Also I believe that these children are genetically predisposed and that environmental triggers (vacc's, diets etc) play a huge part for them. We can't forget that every child with Autism is also an individual too, so effects are different. However I do love hearing of such research and that research is going on. Hopefully one day it might help our little guys along their journeys : ) Alison