Why Is Prenatal Testing Important?

If I were able to teach a pregnant woman during her 1st trimester, I would tell her that the first three months of pregnancy are critical period for the baby’s heart health. During this time frame, the fetus experiences a period of rapid development. Also, during that time the fetus is most sensitive to harm 2 to 3 weeks after the conception. It is important to quit smoking, do not drink alcohol and stop taking some medications as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. In addition, to keep yourself and your baby healthy by eating a balanced diet that will be very important for your growing fetus. The last thing I would tell her, do not forget to have a regular prenatal care in order to monitor the health of your unborn baby.
When considering the stage of prenatal development, the teratogens that the
pregnant mom are most vulnerable to psychoactive drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana. Those drugs can be devastated for the fetus. Alcohol use can cause congenital abnormalities during the pregnancy. The abnormalities include facial deformities and defective limbs, face and heart. Another teratogen that can have a negative impact on healthy unborn’ development is nicotine. Cigarette smoking can cause the fetus to be born with low birth weight. Lack of oxygen can cause the respiratory problem and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). What does prenatal test mean?
Prenatal testing is defined as a process in which a person’s or an embryo’s DNA is isolated and tested for the presence of specific genes or defects that could indicate the future onset of disease. Based on that definition, in certain cases I do think that would be an appropriate decision for a woman to undergo a prenatal test. For instance, if she signs of a disease and she might pass that disease to her future children. Also, a prenatal testing can be benefited the future child if the diagnosed condition can be treated before birth. Moreover, having a genetic test can allow a couple to have the choices to decide to let the baby born or not. However, According to Christiana M.H. Powell, prenatal gene testing raises the value of human life. She said: “what message do we send to disabled adults when doctors and parents decide to end the life of an unborn child who has the same handicap”? This is my personal opinion, I believe in God, I would not want to know because for any reason, I would not kill my unborn baby. I refused to do a prenatal test remember 8 years ego. Now I have a healthy boy and he is also doing well at
school.

Reference
Powell. H.C. (2014) Gene Testing: Helpful Knowledge or Harmful Information? Retrieved from enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200604/200604_112_GeneTesting.cfm