The prenatal tests results are back, and they’re not good news. Something’s wrong - or could be wrong - with your baby. The doctors have told you that you need to make a decision soon - “while there’s still time.” You don’t know what to think or how to feel - you just know that this isn’t the way it was supposed to be.

Many of the prenatal tests offered today are only screening tests, which are not 100% accurate and are not diagnostic. If a blood test or a screening ultrasound indicates a possible problem, an amniocentesis may be offered to you by your doctor to make the final diagnosis. Amniocentesis is a diagnostic test with over 99% accuracy, associated with a 0.5% risk for miscarriage, or 1 in 200 amniocenteses performed."

Once you know the facts - not the possibilities - you can think about what to do. Don’t let anyone pressure you into making a decision until you’re ready. No matter what you decide, this is a choice you will have to live with forever.

There are several things you need to consider. First of all - do you have any religious beliefs about abortion? If you believe that abortion is morally wrong - that children are a gift from God, that God is the Creator of all life - then this decision becomes even more difficult. There are many people who will tell you that abortion is “okay in this situation” - “God will understand” - “It would be more merciful to have an abortion now than to bring a child into this world who will suffer.”

This isn’t what the Bible says! God’s Word is clear - we are all created BY Him and IN His image! The Bible does not teach that the handicapped or “imperfect” are excluded - or that God makes mistakes. As difficult as it is to understand, God does allow some of His children to be born with handicaps and infirmities, and that somehow these challenges can be used to bring glory to His name. God doesn’t need our help - He doesn’t expect us to “fix” His “mistakes.”

This doesn’t mean that continuing a pregnancy with an expected “bad” outcome will be easy - it won’t. But God can be counted on to provide the strength and courage to continue until He decides it’s time for your child’s life to end.

We’ve worked with several families who have made this difficult choice, and it was a privilege to walk with them during their times of uncertainty, sadness and grief. In every case, they have told us that they don’t regret the choice they made - that they valued the time they had with their child. One woman said that she knew the only time she would ever have with her child was while she was in the womb, and she wanted that place to be as safe as it could be.

There are support groups available to families facing this difficult situation. There are also waiting lists of families who are waiting to adopt children with special needs, including those with Down's Syndrome and Spina Bifida. We hope you will contact one of them before making a decision.

Other web sites with additional information:
www.asfhelp.com
www.ndss.org

For more information on genetic testing, please call the National Society of Genetic Counselors at (610) 872-5959.

Letter to Baby Jessica - click here to read a letter written to a baby who, despite complications, was allowed to briefly enter our world.