My Baby: A Life Worth Living?
Post categories: Arts and Entertainment
| 14:19 UK time, Monday, 24 April 2006
In the 91Èȱ¬ FOUR documentary, My Baby: A Life Worth Living?, Candida Harris explores the emotional and practical dilemmas faced by couples desperate for a family, yet all too aware of the implications of passing on their disability to their children.
Disabled herself, with a 50 percent chance of passing the condition on to her child, Candida speaks to four different women and their families, who find themselves in a similar situation. One couple's only definite way of avoiding passing a condition on to their second child would be to get pregnant, then screen and abort if the condition is detected. The second family have a severe genetic condition which cannot be found during a screening process. Others have knowingly passed on disabilities to their offspring.
"What struck me most when speaking to the different families", recounts documentary maker Candida Harris, "is that even now, when there is so much more testing and screening available, it doesn't make the situation or decision-making process any easier."
The programme also explores new developments in reproductive technology - in particular, one technique which can produce a baby free of a certain condition.
We are reminded, though, by Candida that "even though there are many options available to lower the risk of having a child with a genetic condition, these avenues are certainly not open to everyone. In addition to this, even if methods such as PDG, a type of IVF where embryos are screened before implantation, are explored, the outcome isn't always good."
The documentary comes at the same time as scientists unveil a possible new method of screening unborn babies for particular conditions: .
My Baby: A Life Worth Living? airs on 91Èȱ¬ FOUR on Wednesday 26 April at 9.00pm. It is repeated three a half hours later at 12.30am.
Comments
I enjoyed watching this programme. I really felt for all the people featured on it. It really must be so hard for them to go through all of that. When one of the ladies said that she 'hated' Fragile X, I also felt for her. I'm only 15. I've been through a similar situation. I dont want to mention it on this, however I wish I could contact the parents on the show, to show them my appreciation. I hope they read this.
Professor John Harris's opinions were scary. I don't think I could have sat in Candida's place so calmly while he discussed his views we should avoid bringing inherited conditions into being. I just wonder where he draws the line. Genetic predispositions to cancer or depression perhaps? Further?
I felt the programme raised many of the issues faced by parents like me who have passed a genetic syndrome onto their children and went some way to explaining how much more complex life is than the educated man might suggest.
I agree with Lynn that Professor Harris was scarey. Infact I would not have been able to do that interview without saying what I thought of him, most people have some sort of defect in their genetic make up. some very minor and some like in the programme, and my own and my little girls who I would not swap for the world. I wonder would Professor Harris think the same way if he was to get a late onset disease which he has inherited in some way, infact i dont think hes much of an oil painting ;), no ones perfect, the programmme really hit home and I found it helpful for my family to see. I think Carol and all of the dobbins did a difficult and wonderful job, well done, Lyndsey xxxx
I would just like to say - an informative programme. I have Ehlers Danlos Hypermobile Type and wanted to say how much I admired and respected the parents of Jordan the little boy with the very severe type of this little known condition.
For anyone who is interested this is a very good website called the HMSA for those with the hypermobile type.
Hello. Again thank you 91Èȱ¬ for such a sensitive and thought provoking program. I also have hypermobility EDS and have been battling with the same question - to pass it on or not. The law prof was scary, but attitudes like his are unfortunately quite common. Candida's quiet dignity and the testimony of all the wonderful loving families on the show were quite enough to show that of course life is worth living. Good luck to all the families whose life has been turned upside down but whose love is a testimony for us all to see.