Prenatal Testing - Ambivalence, Parenting and Choice

When parents have one child with a genetic illness, it is often assumed that they will have prenatal testing in future pregnancies. However, a new study by Dr. Susan Kelly published in the journal, Sociology of Health and Illness, shows that many parents are taking a different path.

Rather than deciding to have prenatal testing, these parents are either electing not to have more kids despite the availability of this testing. While most studies simply look at whether or not parents elected to have prenatal diagnosis, Dr. Kelly's study took a much more in-depth look at the rationale behind the decision of these parents. Almost two-thirds of the parents interviewed rejected prenatal testing because of ambivalence surrounding the information they would receive. She found that "many parents rejected the possibility of being confronted with the choice of termination or continuation of an affected pregnancy" and that some parents chose not to have future pregnancies rather than avail themselves of prenatal diagnosis.

Did you have more children after the birth of your child with Down syndrome? Why or why not? Did you have prenatal testing in future pregnancies?