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Rhoda went in to her regular pregnancy check-up today (she is exactly halfway through her pregnancy) and everything is going well so far. One of the options she is given at this stage is to do the alpha-fetoprotein screening (AFP). The screening will alert the parents to be and the doctors if there are risks for birth defects such as spina bifida and Down syndrome.
The reason this screening is common at this stage is that if this screening (and subsequent tests) reveal a high likelyhood for these defects, the parents can opt to “safely” abort.
This screening is by no means 100% accurate (meaning it can produce false-negatives and false-positives). But that’s not the reason why Rhoda has opted out of of this screening. The reason she has opted out of the test is that the conclusion of the test will not affect the outcome of our decision to follow through with this pregnancy.
The nurse and the doctor were shocked by her waiving the test (she had to sign a waiver declaring her intent to skip out of the screening). They asked her multiple times if she was sure she wants to do that. We are both sure (at two different appointments).
Her doctor—who happens to be an immigrant to the US—turned to Rhoda after her appointment and told her, assuredly, “I agree with your theory—this test is a whole bunch of American B***S***!”
I’m not sure it’s just American BS. Apart from the fact that this test is not very accurate, people who are opting to abort based on the results of this test are indirectly placing a higher value on the worth of life on the “perfectly, healthy child.” This child in my wife’s womb is alive, breathing, kicking and reacting. In a few weeks, this child can theoretically live outside the womb.
We are prepared to care for our little one. We cannot wait to meet him or her. Maybe there is some value for administering and/or opting into the screening. But I’m glad my wife shocked her doctors this afternoon!
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that’s awesome.
Way to go Rhoda!