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For many parents, having a child with a disability can be difficult but profoundly enriching. "Scripture doesn't lie. These children really are gifts," says Nelson, whose son has a genetic disability. "Our other children have a much greater appreciation for people with differences as a result of their brother, Taylor. It's been a really remarkable experience for our family. He's truly been a gift to our family."

Prenatal testing can help parents prepare for the unique challenges of a disabled child. The Harvard study found that women whose babies parentally tested positive "were generally happier over the birth of their infant with Down syndrome than their counterparts who had received the diagnosis postnatally."

Prenatal diagnosis can also help parents determine where to give birth in order to make sure the baby will have proper care immediately after delivery. "The questions that parents ought to ask are, What conditions will be tested, What are the risks, Who will have the information, Are these conditions treatable?" says Nelson. "It's perfectly ethically appropriate for Christians to undergo prenatal testing. The question that they have to ask themselves is, What are we going to do with this information."

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The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology study, Prenatally diagnosed Down syndrome, is available online.

Kennedy and Brownback's Senate bill is available from The Library of Congress, as is a similar House bill.

The National Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society have some concerns about the bill.

Senators Kennedy and Brownback have more information on their websites about the bill.

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April (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49