Are we really ready for a politician that...

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Ma'ake

Fair enough. If I can produce statistics of Downs syndrome in Utah over time, and that number has diminished significantly, even accounting (reasonably) for non-LDS or non-active LDS population bases, would it be reasonable to infer that there are (by the LDS standard) an increase in the number of murderers in the LDS ranks in Utah?

(By no means am I implying there are more murderers, and I do acknowledge Tex's disinterest. I'm not trying to slam LDS here, either, honestly. I'm just pressing the limits in ideology here.)

Whether not you're trying to slam LDS, you are certainly using inflammatory language.

We all know that using the term murder with abortion produces hot feelings on both sides of this issue.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Ma'ake

Fair enough. If I can produce statistics of Downs syndrome in Utah over time, and that number has diminished significantly, even accounting (reasonably) for non-LDS or non-active LDS population bases, would it be reasonable to infer that there are (by the LDS standard) an increase in the number of murderers in the LDS ranks in Utah?

Maake, I can't find state-by-state statistics, though I imagine with you being in Utah you might have more luck tracking local ones down. But what I figure is that if the national stat cited by the medical literature - a 92% termination rate - is correct, then not only are almost all the pro-choice families chosing to end DS pregnancies, most the pro-life families are, too.

Incidentally, as of 1985 Utah had the lowest incidence of DS in the country.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Maake, I can't find state-by-state statistics, though I imagine with you being in Utah you might have more luck tracking local ones down. But what I figure is that if the national stat cited by the medical literature - a 92% termination rate - is correct, then not only are almost all the pro-choice families chosing to end DS pregnancies, most the pro-life families are, too.

Incidentally, as of 1985 Utah had the lowest incidence of DS in the country.

A 1999 study showed that nationally, 90 percent of women terminate their pregnancies after a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. But Utah's rate is much lower: 8.5 percent of fetuses with Down syndrome were aborted from 1995 to 2005, according to the Utah Birth Defect Network.

Quoted from this article:
http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_6106288
on this blog:
http://economicspolitics.blogspot.co...-for-down.html

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Quoted from this article:
http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_6106288
on this blog:
http://economicspolitics.blogspot.co...-for-down.html

I don't mean to be difficult, but it looks to me that those stats aren't saying the same thing. I can't be certain, though, because I can't access the SLT article.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

I don't mean to be difficult, but it looks to me that those stats aren't saying the same thing. I can't be certain, though, because I can't access the SLT article.

Yes you do.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Yes you do.

Okay. I do mean to be difficult.

The national stat is only a percentage of DS fetuses that were prenatally diagnosed. The state stat appears to be the percentage of all fetuses, including those that went undiagnosed until birth. Obviously all the undiagnosed ones were carried to term, so it's not really very valid to compare the two numbers.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Incidentally, as of 1985 Utah had the lowest incidence of DS in the country.

I wonder if that has anything to do with Mormon women having their babies earlier. From what I understand DS babies are usually born to older women.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Venkman

I wonder if that has anything to do with Mormon women having their babies earlier. From what I understand DS babies are usually born to older women.

Well, that's what I was thinking, too. But when I read more of the paper it said it was true across all maternal age groups. Weird, huh?

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Well, that's what I was thinking, too. But when I read more of the paper it said it was true across all maternal age groups. Weird, huh?

Maybe it's just due to good, clean Mormon living.

[RedHeadGal]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Well, that's what I was thinking, too. But when I read more of the paper it said it was true across all maternal age groups. Weird, huh?

Younger women have more DS babies because they have more babies. But the chances of having a DS baby increase as the mother gets older.