'Superman' fetus sparks debate online

A pregnant woman's social media post about her fetus' genetic abnormality has sparked heated discussion online.

The woman shared a photo of her pregnancy test on a social media platform on July 14, showing that her baby, at 25 weeks and five days, was at high risk of having superman syndrome, also known as XYY syndrome or Jacob's syndrome.

Medical experts said superman syndrome — a birth defect in which males have an additional Y chromosome — does not necessarily lead to antisocial or deviant behavior, as is often feared.

The scan result said that people with the syndrome usually have tall stature and normal intelligence, but are more likely to exhibit delayed motor and language development, behavioral problems, as well as autism, depression, anxiety and other mental or physical conditions.

She said in the post that she "had a breakdown" and "did not know what to do".

Her post on the short video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, sparked heated online discussions on whether she should have an abortion.

Her post drew more than 186,000 comments, and hashtags related to the syndrome became some of the most-searched topics on the Sina Weibo micro-blogging platform this week.

The majority urged the woman to abort her child, citing examples from films, reality shows or sporadic cases where individuals with the syndrome are inclined to be more violent, aggressive and to commit crimes.

Other posts said there is no definitive evidence linking the defect to a higher tendency of violent crime and there is no need to fuel fear and discrimination against those with it.

Research shows that the genetic condition, first discovered in the 1960s, occurs in about one in 1,000 male children, but they are often unidentified because the disease is not necessarily associated with obvious physical or cognitive impairments.

Dong Xi, head of the reproductive medical center at Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University in Shanghai, told People's Daily that the link between the genetic disorder and violence stems from a study in the 1960s in the United States.

The study found a higher ratio of people with XYY syndrome among prisoners than in the general population. However, the study is widely considered inconclusive and has been questioned by the scientific community.

"Not all people with an extra Y chromosome will commit a crime," Dong said.

She suggested parents seek guidance from genetic specialists if their pregnancy scan flags the defect. "It is important to spread the understanding that children with this birth defect are not born guilty and an abortion is actually not necessary," she said.

Zou Yingfen, an obstetrician at Wuxi People's Hospital in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, said that research shows the intelligence of children with XYY syndrome could be normal or slightly lower.

The rate of abortion among fetuses identified with an extra Y chromosome varies from 2.7 to 25.8 percent, depending on whether the parents consult multidisciplinary experts and carry out further tests.

She suggested parents encountering the problem seek extensive professional feedback. If they decide to keep the baby, it is important to keep monitoring the fetus' condition and collect umbilical blood samples for analysis after the baby is born.

The woman in Sichuan province said in a follow-up post on Saturday that she decided to terminate the pregnancy after considering medical advice, her family condition and uncertainties and possible challenges in the future.

"Please stop demonizing the condition," she added.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn