Exploring the new Downs Syndrome (DS) antenatal testing, the actress Sally Philips (she of Miranda fame – ‘Bear with, bear with’) presented a programme on BBC2 on 5 October which was both uplifting and heart-breaking.
Nine out of ten people terminate their pregnancy upon being given a confirmation of DS during screening programmes at around 15 weeks of pregnancy. This rate has risen by 40% in the last ten years. Sally explored the new NIPT/cfDNA tests and the ethics surrounding them, noting that at 99% accuracy, it may even result in the population of people with DS being wiped out.
Endless capacity for joy
Using her experience, Sally questioned what is so intolerable about having a child with DS: ‘I was expecting tragedy, but I got comedy,’ as she showed how her son and many others like him have an endless capacity for joy and a love of life and people that shames society at large.
