While rare, "false positives" on prenatal diagnoses do occur. That's the term used when the baby is born (or aborted) and the detected abnormalities are not found, or are not as bad as doctors thought they would be.
Such was the case when Amylynn Kaptein's daughter was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 after a routine ultrasound scan. This is a condition in which the person has an extra 18th chromosome, and it causes them to have misshapen skulls, malformed ears, and heart defects. The disorder is usually fatal within weeks or months of birth. Children who survive often have intellectual disabilities.
In Amylynn's daughter's case, this diagnosis was eventually disproven by genetic testing (amniocentesis) at 25 weeks, but each subsequent ultrasound scan kept coming back with the same horrifying conclusion: her baby would have no face!
These photos show how wrong this common prenatal test can be. Little Abigael is bright and beautiful. Amylynn says, "I do not believe the doctors were wrong. Rather, I believe God answered my prayers. Now, when I look at my sweet, precious Abigael, not only do I see a face, a miracle, and an answer to prayer — I see the face of God."
Many parents agree to prenatal tests, weighing the anxiety of an unsettling diagnosis against the possibility of being assured or able to prepare. They might benefit by remembering Amylynn's dictum: "I trust science, but I
believe God." Read more of her story
here.
Photo credits:
Just Alex Photography