Incompatible with life?

Prenatal screening has opened up a baffling world of “choices” to couples who are expecting a baby. Using tests administered as early as the first trimester, couples can find out if their baby has any number of congenital disorders — ranging from Down syndrome to spina bifida.  These tests are often presented by the medical community as a way to help prevent risks for the mother and child, but as Adrienne Asch, professor of bioethics at Yeshiva University, says, “[Prenatal testing] is not a medical procedure to promote the health of the fetus. It is a procedure to give prospective parents information to decide whether or not to eliminate a possible future life.”