How severe would health problems have to be for you to terminate a pregnancy?

God love the March of Dimes for their efforts to prevent parents from being faced with such a horrible decision.

I can’t give an honest answer, because I really don’t know, never having had faced anything like this. I think, yes, I would….then I think of Stephen Hawkings….. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know…..

My child would have to be known to be so severely physically deformed that they wouldn’t be independently mobile or so severely mentally developed that they’d not be able to be independent.

A deaf/blind or partially crippled child wouldn’t cause so great alarm as one where I would have to ask myself, without me, if I were to die or become incapacitated- would my child be cared for, would their life be as safe and secure as I had made it?

@bags :: Stephen Hawking was in college when signs of ALS started showing.

If the potential for great suffering to the infant was high, yes, I would terminate.

I am torn myself between letting nature takes it’s course and intervention that might benefit the greater good for all involved, parents, family, infant.

In many ways the early diagnostics that are available in our modern medical system are ‘Godsends’ IMO.
How many families and infants suffered immeasurably in bygone times?

I can’t imagine watching my ill or disabled infant die slowly as so many humans have throughout history.

If I was pregnant.

Having adopted a child with many genetic disorders I have to say this I can understand fully those parents who would abort the baby. It is a very very very rough road to travel and I wouldn’t wish the issues we face daily on any baby and I feel really bad this child was brought into the world with so many issues. She has been in and out of the hospital many times and it would have been more if I didn’t get things like oxygen at home of her.

Doctors do not even know if she will live to adulthood with her medical issues and it is really hard to know that she could die if she gets sick and she gets sick often. The question I have to the parents, could you potentially watch your child get sicker and sicker to the point of death?? Because with alot of these genetic issues death is a pretty high possiblity.

I’m strongly opposed to abortion in most cases, BUT if it were determined my unborn baby would be severely handicapped, meaning the child would be deaf and blind and have no “real” life aside from being medicated, fed through a tube and laying down for his/her entire life… I think I would choose to end it. A girlfriend of mine went through a situation like that and she suffered tremendously when he finally died at age 12. I couldn’t go through something like that.

My wife was pregnant and we went in for an ultrasound very early in the pregnancy (~12 weeks). The doctor diagnosed the baby with “severe developmental issues” and then referred us to a specialist for more information. So we got to go home and figure out exactly where the line was for us.

The answer we came up with was if the baby could mentally and physically experience happiness we would have it and do whatever we needed to do that came along with that. A short life was OK if it could be experienced and enjoyed. If he was going to be in pain from birth, we wouldn’t want to put anyone we loved through that. We tried to use our existing family as a guide.

If my mother/father/brother was in an accident and ended up in the same condition as the baby, would I want them to continue living? Would they want to?

It’s a horrible situation to be in and I sympathize with anyone who has to make a decision anywhere near that line. Our case ended up being fairly straight forward and we had to abort the baby.

It sticks with you either way, so I think the decision has to be about the child.

Thanks for the candid and thoughtful answers. @creative1, I remember you described your situation in another answer and I think you’re amazing for doing what you’re doing.

@funkdaddy, I’m sorry things didn’t turn out better. For what it’s worth, I have no doubt you made the right decision, given how thoughtful and considerate you are.

@funkdaddy I agree with the line you drew. If they could experience happiness/pleasure, I’d proceed with the pregnancy. I’m so sorry you were faced with having to make that decision.

From another perspective, all three of my pregnancies were dangerous to my health. There was a real possibility of death for me, but it didn’t really sink in until the third one. At that point, my doctors flat out told me I could die. I opted not to terminate that pregnancy, but took all precautions that were possible. I honestly don’t know what I’d have done if my death was imminent. Having two young children at home, I would have had to weigh their needs, too.

No health problems whatsoever. If I were a woman and I didn’t want to carry the fetus, I’d have an abortion.

I don’t know. I remember the doctor telling me that my son may be born with a cleft lip because of some medication I was on and didn’t stop taking till I found out I was pregnant. I was very upset and wondered what else may be wrong. I questioned if it would be right to bring him into the world where he would be made fun off and will feel different. Although abortion did cross my mind for a second, I really couldn’t consider giving up on him before he was born. Luckily the doctor was wrong. I don’t know if I would’ve felt the same if I knew my kid really had no chance at a normal life in the case that you mentioned but I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone for doing what they think is right. When you are pregnant the one thing you pray hardest for is a healthy baby. Its a devastating blow for any mother to be to hear your baby will not be healthy. The concern isn’t for yourself. Its for the joys your child will miss out on, or the suffering they will endure. Its easy to decide for yourself. Its not easy when someone else has to pay the consequences of your choice.

@Rarebear I was assuming that we’re talking about a wanted pregnancy, here.

Like @Pandora, I had the chance at a baby and chose abortion because my pregnancy was discovered so far along. I could have chanced to put aside the drugs, the smoking, the alcohol, the minimal food lifestyle that I lived at the time but all I could think about was how any child of mine I chose deserved be grown with all the very best efforts I could make.

How I felt at the time was that child would be grown by my neglect, my mistakes and bear any defect or anomaly because of my poor self choices. It just seemed so unfair and risky to gamble what’s supposed to be (in my mind) my greatest creation and contribution to society.

If the doctors told me that it was very likely that my child would “experience a great deal of suffering” then I would probably consider terminating the pregnancy (I can’t say anything for definate as I have never been faced with such a horrible decision).

I know a couple who were faced with this. There unborn baby had a number if problems and doctors said that, if the child was born and survived he/she would have spent the rest of it’s life in a vegatative state. In that situation I agree with the doctors that it is the humane thing to do.

@augustlan Oh, you’re right, sorry. I didn’t read the added notes carefully enough.

I hope I never have to make this choice. We’d definitely have difficulty aborting, though.