ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses primarily on chromosomal disorders in relation to prenatal diagnosis. Prenatal diagnosis has made it possible to provide more meaningful information to parents in many instances. If, however, amniotic fluid cell culture should reveal that the fetus has a specific chromosomal anomaly the family may request therapeutic abortion. It is a well known fact that older mothers have an increased risk for giving birth to a child with a chromosomal aberration. As in any medical procedure one has to expect complications and pitfalls with prenatal diagnosis. Beyond the medical aspects there are a number of other factors to be considered in the application of prenatal diagnosis, such as legal, ethical, and moral questions. Some parents based their selective abortion decision solely on the interest of the fetus while others considered the existent family's best interest in making their decision.