Gonz said:
A13- how could a doctor diagnose a child, in utero, with such precision? One knows if a twin fetus has not divided by physical characteristics. They can't say the child/children will die. They play the odds & give a wide timeline. Your doctor is a prognosticator with a magic 8 ball.
Testing of foetal development and disorders are quite accurate these days with tests like Amniocentesis where the amniotic fluid is tested to ascertain whether or not there are any defects (the fluid is tested as there are foetal cells present in it, so they are able to test these cells by growing them for chromosome analysis - it's usually done in the first 14 - 20 weeks of gestation).
Fetal lung maturity can be accurately detected through this test & it's very important as the lungs may not be mature enough to sustain life once the child is born, i.e. after birth, the infant will develop respiratory distress syndrome from hyaline membrane disease since it did not produce enough surfactant during gestation to sustain lung growth & development. The condition may persist or worsen for two to four days after birth with improvement thereafter. Some infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome will die. IRDS is usually a factor with pre-mature babies as their lungs didn't have enough time to develop to maturity, but it can also occur in children born after normal gestation periods.
There are of course other tests available and some other diseases or disorders than can be accurately diagnosed include Renal Agenesis (Potter's Syndrome): Renal agenesis is the complete absence of the kidneys. The kidneys are the organs that filter the blood of waste products, eliminating them as urine. There are two kidneys in the human under normal circumstances. Absence of the kidney could be unilateral or bilateral. If it is unilateral, it means only one kidney is absent. However, if it is bilateral, it means both kidneys are absent. Unilateral absence of the kidneys is compatible with life whereas bilateral absence of the kidneys is incompatible with life.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH): The wide, flat muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities is called the diaphragm. The diaphragm forms when a fetus is at 8 weeks' gestation. When it does not form completely, a defect, called a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), is created. This is a hole in the muscle between the chest and the abdomen. The majority of CDHs occur on the left side. The hole allows the contents of the abdomen, (stomach, intestine, liver, spleen, and kidneys) to go up into the fetal chest. The herniation of these abdominal organs into the chest occupies that space and prevents the lungs from growing to normal size. This is called pulmonary hypoplasia. The growth of both lungs can be affected. While in the uterus, a fetus does not need its lungs to breathe, because the placenta performs this function. However, if the lungs are too small after the baby is born, the baby will not be able to provide itself with enough oxygen to survive. Approximately 60% of fetuses with CDH do not survive after birth because their lungs are too small.
So no, in most cases they do not play the odds, they can say with reasonable certainty that the child will not live longer than a few hours. Whether or not the mother chooses to abort is up to her, but her choice would most certainly be justified in terms of the magnitude of the problem she faces.
nice one AT 
