FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2015
Contact: Mallory Quigley, [email protected], 703-380-6674
CLI Research Director Addresses Harm of Gender & Disability Discrimination Abortions
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – This morning Dr. David Prentice, Vice President and Research Director of the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), will testify before the Indiana Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services in support of SB 334 – legislation to prohibit prenatal discrimination by banning abortions based on sex selection or genetic abnormality. The Charlotte Lozier Institute is the research and education arm of the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List.
Dr. Prentice has over three decades of experience in life sciences including stem cells, cloning, cell biology, genetics, biotechnology, bioethics, as well as life-related research and policymaking. Prentice is an Adjunct Professor of Molecular Genetics at the John Paul II Institute at the Catholic University of America and is a founding member of Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics.
**Media Availability: Dr. Prentice will be available for interviews after testifying.**
To arrange, please email [email protected]
Below is an excerpt from Dr. Prentice’s testimony, which can be read in full here:
[W]hile older texts say that around 90% of children born with Trisomy 18 don’t live as long as a year, this is simply outdated information. For example, Bella Santorum, daughter of former Sen. Rick Santorum, will be 7 years old this May. Mrs. Santorum says that “Bella’s a little girl with a big message, that every person matters. She’s here for a reason.”
Indeed, more and more children with genetic conditions like Bella and Kathleen Rose are surviving, and thriving. A recent study by doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, published in the journal Pediatrics, points out the improvements, noting: “Despite the conventional understanding of these syndromes as lethal, a substantial number of children are living longer than 1 year and undergoing medical and surgical procedures as part of their treatment.”
Contrast the prevalent attitude about Down syndrome that leads to a lethal diagnosis, with the recent facts about increased life span, health, learning, and especially satisfaction for those with Down syndrome and their families. A recent study by Skotko et al. found that 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives, 99% of parents said they love their child with Down syndrome, and 97% of brothers/sisters, ages 9-11, said they love their sibling.
Medical science has also improved significantly not only in terms of surgeries to alleviate some of the physical problems associated with Down syndrome, but also in potential pharmaceutical treatments. Bradford notes several clinical trials, all begun within the last five years, with drugs that are hoped will improve cognition for individuals affected by this condition.
Charlotte Lozier Institute was launched in 2011 as the education and research arm of Susan B. Anthony List. CLI is a hub for research and public policy analysis on some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and nations around the world. The Institute is named for a feminist physician known for her commitment to the sanctity of human life and equal career and educational opportunities for women.
The SBA Pro-Life America National Pro-life Scorecard is a tool that helps hold members of Congress accountable for their legislative records on life and that highlights leadership in the fight to serve women and save babies.
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