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MARCH OF DIMES UPDATE
By Susan W. Enouen, PE
Since the March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by Franklin D. Roosevelt
to defeat polio, its partnership of scientists and volunteers has been instrumental
in funding research for the prevention, detection and cure of various birth
defects. However, since the legalization of abortion, MOD has refused to fight
for the lives of most pre-born children with birth defects. Instead, they have
left the fate of these innocents to the pro-abortion counsel of geneticists.
Because of this, pro-lifers have boycotted contributions to MOD since 1976.
Unfortunately, based on MOD’s newest report, pre-born babies with birth
defects remain at a high risk for abortion.
In 1998, MOD expanded its mission globally and in 2004 commissioned
a study to document the toll of birth defects in the world. This recently released
Global Report on Birth Defects, The Hidden Toll of Dying and Disabled Children,
is a comprehensive summary and analysis of the available global data on the
causes and incidence of birth defects. It makes compelling arguments about the
effectiveness of preventive care, and is clearly intended to motivate governments
and health care systems to focus on providing the preventions and treatments
available today.
Three levels of prevention are described: Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary. Primary preventions focus on women’s health prior to and during
early pregnancy, so that birth defects never develop. These strategies include
fortifying salt with iodine to prevent iodine deficiency disorder, fortification
of the grain food supply with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, educating
women about the cause of fetal alcohol syndrome and pre-screening for common
recessive disorders. The report explains, “With its emphasis on ensuring
normal conception and early pregnancy, primary prevention is the most important
of all three levels.” 1 Once a child with birth defects is born, Tertiary
prevention deals with early detection, treatment and cure of those defects.
Secondary prevention “aims to reduce the number of children
born with birth defects.” 2 Although rarely stated explicitly within this
carefully worded report, treatment at this stage often means abortion. MOD’s
sanctioned use of abortion as a method for reducing the rate of babies born
with birth defects is embedded in the discussion of Secondary prevention: “This
is achieved through medical genetic screening and prenatal diagnosis where birth
defects are detected and the couple offered genetic counseling and therapeutic
options.” 3 The important point to note here is that prenatal diagnosis
of birth defects does not ‘prevent’ birth defects; it identifies them.
Some birth defects are treatable in utero, many are not. Therefore, some of
the implicit ‘prevention’ at this stage involves preventing the birth
of a child with defects via the ‘abortion treatment.’
This intention is more explicitly identified in two case studies.
In the section called Prevention of Birth Defects, one case study is titled,
The Power of Prevention: Family Planning and reducing the birth prevalence
of Down syndrome. It states, “In the years 1995-2000 in most of Western
Europe, approximately 50 percent of affected pregnancies were terminated following
pre-natal diagnosis, and the prevalence of Down syndrome remains low at 0.8-1.1
per 1000 live births.” 4 As presented, pregnancy termination is clearly
defined as a successful scheme. In the same section, the report states, “family
planning introduces women and their partners to the concept of reproductive
choice, including the option of limiting family size or using prenatal diagnosis.”
5 Here, ‘reproductive choice’, a pseudonym for the abortion option,
is presented as an important tool in “reducing the burden of birth defects.”
6
A second case study is entitled, Power of Prevention: Screening
for thalassemia in Iran. Initially, this approach involved pre-marital genetic
screening only, but just 20% of screen positive couples voluntarily separated.
The summary states, “When asked, the remainder requested the option of
prenatal diagnosis and selective termination of pregnancy. After inter-sectoral
debate, a fatwa (law) was decreed recognizing the need for prenatal diagnosis
and selective termination for serious birth defects.” 7 Successes claimed
in this study include a significant decline in the affected birth rate and “overcoming
the implicit social, ethical and legal problems” 8 of developing such services.
Said another way, the societal and legal objections to abortion were dismantled,
resulting in fewer babies born with thalassemia because they were aborted instead.
After the discussion of Secondary prevention, MOD clearly spells
out its position: “The March of Dimes maintains a policy of neutrality
on the issue of abortion. If termination of pregnancy is discussed with parents
in the course of prenatal care, this discussion must be within the limits of
the legal terms of reference of the country. Health care providers must not
give directive or coercive advice, are obliged to respect the religious and
moral beliefs of the parent, and should abide by and support their decisions.”
9 In other words, MOD supports staying within the laws of the country and does
not advocate forcing anyone to have an abortion. However, the unmistakable message
is that abortion is a feasible option for secondary prevention as long as it
is legal and the parents are willing.
Throughout the report, it is clear that the primary goal of MOD
is reducing the number of babies born with birth defects, through a variety
of preventive and treatment programs. Unfortunately, with its emphasis on pre-natal
diagnosis and reproductive choice, it leaves no doubt that abortion is still
a strategic part of the plan. Until MOD can actively support all human life,
born or pre-born, perfect or imperfect, the boycott must continue. We must not
lend our financial support to this organization, as it stands by and tacitly
approves the use of pre-natal euthanasia to further its goals.
1 March of Dimes Global Report on Birth Defects,
The Hidden Toll of Dying and Disabled Children; March of Dimes Birth Defects
Foundation, White Plains, New York, 2006; Executive Summary, Services For Care
and Prevention of Birth Defects, p. 41.
2 Ibid., p. 41
3 Ibid., p. 41
4 Ibid., p. 47, box 2
5 Ibid., p. 47
6 Ibid., p. 47
7 Ibid., p. 54, box 6
8 Ibid., p. 54, box 6
9 Ibid., p. 41
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