This is true, neither is pre-implanation genetic screening. Which is why you need to choose a surrogate who you've discussed your wishes with beforehand.

People with Down Syndrome are just that - people. I hate the narrative of, "oh they're so much nicer/sweeter/more loving than the rest of us!". That's not as helpful as people think it is. For Pete's sake, Jezebel even posted an article about this:

If you disagree with the idea of abortion, especially abortion based on a positive test for a disability, that is your opinion I guess.

Very interesting. This one says 92%:

Yes, however it poses a major life challenge even in developed countries like mine where there is appallingly little support for people with mental or physical disabilities. I've seen this firsthand, and I suspect this is the reason why so many women with positive tests for Down Syndrome choose to abort.

Thanks, someone already corrected me on that.

Very true.

Not always 100% effective, but yes you can.

Ugh my reading comprehension today.

Fair enough.

Are you seriously saying that women should not be able to make the choice not to continue with the pregnancy should they find out their fetus has Down Syndrome?

First - I was making a general statement that doesn't only apply to this case. Second - I would say that having Down Syndrome poses a major life challenge, don't you? What do you think then about all the women who've aborted fetuses who tested positive for Down Syndrome? Are they all monsters?

That is definitely a point, and the fact that she is from Thailand (where apparently abortion might not even be legal) certainly changes things. Still, I feel like this is a sad and complicated situation all around. I agree they should have been made to take care of the child's medical bills and arrange for placement…

Yes, definitely. I think said that elsewhere. But I do understand how little support there is for families trying to raise disabled children. It's awful.

Oh, I'm not saying she should be coerced into an abortion. But for example, what if this situation were to happen in the US? Let's say the surrogate and family had a prior agreement to terminate should the baby have a severe birth defect. The surrogate has every right to renege and not abort, since I think forced…

That would obviously change things, and if that is true the parents were fools to go to Thailand to contract a surrogate. I think my comment still stands for surrogacy contracts in my own country, though.

What a disturbing story. But yes, I'm sure in many cases there is a massive power imbalance between the surrogate and family in terms of knowledge/legal resources/wealth. Which also seems to be the case here.

I agree, the surrogate got screwed on that front. It sounds like the whole system is just terribly corrupt, and it would be terrible to think that the parents' wishes in the case of a disabled child weren't made clear to the surrogate BEFOREHAND. But this sounds just too complicated to dismiss the parents as awful…

Well, I agree that it's hugely ableist but the reality is that the vast majority of women who test positive for Down Syndrome do abort. How about we rail against the social structures that make it so that it is incredibly difficult to get the support needed to raise a disabled child even in the developed world, and…

It is pretty messed up all around. Like another commenter said, they could have at least taken him back to Australia and made sure his medical expenses were paid before they put him in foster care or something.