If you’re visiting this page, you probably received a flyer entitled “Prenatal Diagnosis: What You Need to Know.” This flyer was published by the Pro-Life Action League to share the facts about the issues surrounding prenatal testing with the American people.
You can order copies of this flyer from the Pro-Life Action Store.
If you need help with a difficult prenatal diagnosis, visit Be Not Afraid for help and support.
A difficult diagnosis … But you still have choices
A troubling prenatal diagnosis can make it feel like the world is crashing down around you. In that moment of shock and heartbreak, parents are often rushed into making decisions— sometimes the most important decisions of their lives—without ever hearing the full truth.
Many assume that the tests are clear, the diagnosis certain, the outcome inevitable. Few are told that these tests may not say what they think they say. Fewer still are prepared for the emotional weight of the news they receive or the way that information is often presented.
What if there’s more to the story? What if the choices you are being offered aren’t the only ones? What if the diagnosis itself isn’t as certain as it seems?
What prenatal tests can — and can’t — tell you
When a couple finds out they’re pregnant, they are frequently offered prenatal tests for various conditions. Prenatal tests are commonly just screening tests. These tests cannot provide definitive answers. The most doctors can say is that a test suggests a higher chance of a condition—and these tests can be wrong.
False alarms are especially common for younger mothers. For example, when a woman in her early twenties receives a “positive” result for a condition called Trisomy 18, there is actually an 86% chance the result is wrong.
Parents often trust these tests. They trust the experts who interpret the results for them. But the heartbreaking truth is that almost every parent whose prenatal test is abnormal will be offered an abortion, despite the risks of aborting a perfectly healthy baby because of an incorrect screening result. Some parents only learn this after the fact—when their child has already been aborted and it’s too late.
Diagnostic tests, like amniocentesis, can offer a clearer answer. But these tests also carry risks, including the possibility of inducing a miscarriage.
Even when a diagnosis is confirmed, it cannot predict the life your baby and your family will have. As one neonatologist said, “A prenatal diagnosis does not tell you what life will be like for your child after birth.”
These tests may tell you about chromosomes or anatomy—but they cannot tell you about love, joy, or the gift of meeting your child.
The Hidden Trauma of Prenatal Diagnosis
Hearing that your baby might have a serious health condition is one of the hardest things a parent can experience. Many describe feeling shocked, numb, and overwhelmed. In one study, every mother and nearly every father who received an adverse prenatal diagnosis said they felt unable to process what they were being told.
In these moments of fear and confusion, many parents are quickly offered abortion—sometimes before they have had time to fully understand the diagnosis. But trauma makes it hard to take in information, to ask questions, or to weigh choices clearly. Some parents later say they felt pressured, or that they never really had a choice at all.
The way this news is delivered matters. Parents deserve compassion, honesty, and time to make the best decision for themselves and their child—not fear or coercion.
Parents deserve to know the truth about prenatal diagnosis.
These tests do not give the straightforward answers some doctors claim. Parents deserve to make informed decisions without being traumatized. Lives are in the balance.
What can you do about it?
Here are some practical suggestions:
- Pass out copies of “Prenatal Diagnosis: What You Need to Know.” Purchase copies here, and follow these instructions on leafleting.
- Be prepared to recommend the group Be Not Afraid to parents you know who may be dealing with a difficult prenatal diagnosis.
- Follow the Pro-Life Action League for the latest news and action alerts. Find us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our emails.
