Wichita Eagle Profiles Bill Aimed At Reducing Abortions Of Fetuses With Genetic Conditions

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 12 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PST

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The Wichita Eagle on Monday profiled a bill (S 1810), introduced by Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), that would assist pregnant women and new parents after receiving the diagnosis of a fetus with Down syndrome or other prenatally diagnosed conditions (Hotakainen, Wichita Eagle, 3/10).

The legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to increase referrals to providers of key support services, as well as to provide up-to-date, comprehensive information about life expectancy, development potential, and quality of life for a child born with Down syndrome or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions. The bill aims to strengthen existing networks of support through CDC patient and provider outreach programs; improve available data by incorporating information directly revealed by prenatal or postnatal testing into existing state-based surveillance programs for birth defects and prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions, and ensure that patients receive up-to-date, scientific information about the accuracy of the test (S 1810 text, 3/10). The measure authorizes $5 million annually through fiscal year 2013 to support these efforts.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the bill unanimously last month (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/29). The bill now moves to the full Senate. Similar legislation also has been introduced in the House, the Eagle reports.

Brownback said he would like to see the number of abortions related to such diagnoses "come way down" and noted that for him, the bill is part of his campaign for "the culture of life." He added that parents who decide they are unable to raise a child with such conditions should "have the child and put the child up for adoption." The bill has not faced opposition, Brownback said. Kennedy's office declined to comment on the measure, according to the Eagle (Wichita Eagle, 3/10).

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