BBC to air documentary about Down's syndrome

A BBC documentary about children with Down’s syndrome will broadcast tomorrow (Wednesday 5 October).

A BBC documentary about children with Down’s syndrome will broadcast tomorrow (Wednesday 5 October). Actress Sally Phillips, who is a Christian, – best known for her roles in Bridget Jones and Miranda, presents the documentary, 'A world without Down’s syndrome?'.

In her first documentary, Phillips will examine whether the use of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) might eventually completely eradicate Down’s syndrome, a prospect she finds "chilling".

She says: "It's not just a film about [my son], it’s not just about down’s syndrome either. It’s a film that asks the question - what kind of society do we want to live in, and who do we think should be allowed to live in it?"

92 more abortions each year

NIPT screens a pregnant mother's blood for tiny fragments of DNA. These fragments are then checked at between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy for abnormalities, such as Down's syndrome and Edward's syndrome.

A National Screening Committee pilot study has predicted there could be 25 fewer miscarriages each year, as a result of the new testing, but it also suggests there will be 92 more abortions each year, which could lead to a decline of Down's Syndrome live births by 13%.

The current pre-natal testing for the condition can take place from 12 weeks into the pregnancy. The mother also has the option to take an additional test which is ‘more accurate’, but involves injecting a needle into the womb. The test also carries a 1-in-100 risk of miscarriage.

'Equal inherent dignity, worth and value'

With the current tests that are available for detecting certain conditions, 90% of women who are told their baby has Down’s syndrome, currently opt to abort the child.

The new blood test is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), and claims to have a 99% detection rate. Pro-life campaigners fear that making this new test available on the NHS, which ministers are currently considering, will cause the 90% rate of abortions to rise even higher.

Anne Scanlan, director of pro-life group LIFE, said earlier this year, "Children with and without disabilities have equal inherent dignity, worth and value."

In this short clip, Sally Phillips explains NIPT, using groceries and kitchen utensils to make the process clearer.

NIPT was introduced in Iceland in 2000. According to figures published by the Icelandic Parliament, 100% of babies that were diagnosed with Down’s syndrome were aborted in 2008-2012.

The test is currently legal in private clinics in the UK, and costs between £400 and £900.

'Societal pressure to have that termination'

Sally Phillips says: "We have the most expensive state-of-the-art Down’s syndrome detection test and the ability to terminate right up until birth. But no allowance is made for the point of view of the other side.

"The families of people with Down’s syndrome are not consulted. People with Down’s syndrome are not consulted. There has never been an ethical debate about it.

"We have imperceptibly flipped into a situation where the woman is under societal pressure to have that termination."

In a piece, for the Daily Mail, Dominic Lawson says:

"The people behind this new screening programme don’t seem at all pleased that Sally Phillips has painted a positive picture of having a family which includes a child with Down’s syndrome."

"In 2016, all pregnant women are told about Down’s is, essentially, what such children’s afflictions might be… But imagine if mothers-to-be were given a full list of what might afflict any new-born in the course of his or her existence, from cancer to mental illness… It would hardly encourage them to carry on with the pregnancy."

Speaking to Christian Today about the Sally's documentary James Mildred, a former press officer for Ruth Davidson MSP, said:

"Phillips is surely right to call for a more balanced discussion. Down's syndrome is not simply a genetic defect we need to eradicate.

"There are people behind this condition who are part of the richness and diversity of life. We should attach as much value to them both in the womb and outside as we do to those with no genetic condition."

A World Without Down’s Syndrome? is on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesday 5^th October.