Every parent’s dream is to have a healthy baby. Babies who will eventually grow old to be active children and later as able-bodied adults capable of building wonderful lives for themselves. But what if those dreams don’t happen at all? What if the exact opposite scenario happens? What will a parent do? Are babies given the right to live?

Not all babies are born as what parents have hoped for—cute and healthy. There are others born with extreme physical disabilities, are disfigured, or incapable of living by themselves. These babies were born with congenital disorders that cannot be reversed as they grow. It is really a big challenge for parents to accept the condition of their newborns especially if they have made arrangements in advance for the babies’ education and other needs. It is a sad fact that these babies will not grow up just like other kids but it is something parents have to overcome for their children’s sake.

Some babies with congenital disease also suffer severe disabilities, physically and/or mentally. They may be bedridden for life or, for more fortunate souls, are able to at least perform the activities of daily living such as bathing, clothing, or eating on their own. On the other hand, there are babies who may appear totally healthy physically but will manifest with mental disability later on in life. This condition can also be physically limiting since a severe mental retardation or disability will result in the individual’s inability to perform activities of daily living also. Comprehension is needed to perform certain activities and those babies with brain deformities and/or chemical imbalance oftentimes are not capable of making simple decisions so it is up to the parents or caregivers to guide these children.

Parents of these babies will have to face the challenge head on. It will be for the baby’s advantage if the disability is treated early. Congenital disorders may not be reversed but they can be halted, at times, or even slowed down by early intervention. It is true that having ‘special’ babies will also require special needs. The needs may vary. It can be an expensive medication or therapy, or just a simple hug and soothing word from the parents or caregivers.

Nowadays, gene counseling is the practice in modern countries. Spouses go to gene counselors to have themselves tested for possible gene defects. There is also the much talked about gene intervention. Here, spouses go to a doctor and specify the make up that they would like their child to have. In this process, babies are essentially formed and ‘reworked’ in the laboratory. A huge ethics issue arose from all of these gene manipulation practices. Medical professionals are contradicting one another and questioning each other’s motives. Parents have a choice either to have babies through these methods or not.

In the end, the basic premise is still the newborn’s future. Whether healthy or not, physically and mentally, it is still a life that was formed. The pitiful conditions may be beyond comprehension but the fact remains, they are babies now seeing the light of day, they may as well be given the chance to survive.