Ichthyosis

Someone I don't even know sent me the following link. It's a webpage about congenital (Harlequin) ichthyosis.

Congenital ichthyosis, also called harlequin fetus, is a lethal autosomal recessive disorder resulting from a keratinising disorder. An externally thickened keratin layer of skin and diffuse plate like scales characterizes it...This condition can be shocking to parents. So it is better that the fetus is diagnosed early.

Shocking is quite an understatement. Look for yourself, if you dare. I warn you, it's very disturbing. The "Congratulations" on the hospital video is the saddest of ironies. Just as Mother Nature can create some of the most beautiful scenes and creatures, she can be a cruel bitch too.

I don't mean to present this as a sort of freak show, as a casual glimpse of the grotesque. After the initial shock of seeing the images wore off, I thought about that scene in the V mini-series where that woman gave birth to the lizard baby. Then I began to think about the sheer horror of the parents. If, as the doctor says, it's better that the fetus is diagnosed early and you detect it, then what? According to the article, the longest a child with a definitive case of this ichthyosis lived was 3 years. I immediately thought about Peter Singer's case for euthanasia under some circumstances. Here's a description of a child with this disorder:

At birth the affected infant has a characteristic appearance of thick, whitish, armor-like skin, criss-crossed by deep red grooves often producing diamond-shaped forms resembling a harlequin costume. Facial anomalies include bilateral ectropion (complete eversion of the eyelids with occlusion of the eyes), eclabion (eversion of the lips), absence of external ears and nasal hypoplasia. The limbs are short and contained in a rigid sheath with hypoplastic fingers, toes and nails. Globally, the newborn appears to be encased in a tight, parchment-like membrane, which allows little movement and holds the limbs in a semi flexed position. The mouth remains permanently open and the infant is unable to suckle properly.

How could someone deny a woman an abortion if it was determined that the fetus was afflicted with this disorder? What kind of life could the infant possibly have if brought to term? I'm with Singer here. This Christian bullshit about us all being God's creatures because we have souls has got to go. Zygotes and embryonic stem cells do not have souls. They are not people. Some people's lives are so miserable that they ought to be ended. Especially if they themselves desire it.