Do we love children for who they are or for what they are worth?

This letter was sent to The Straits Times Forum but was not published.

There is no right to a child, not even to those who can afford in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments (“Make preschools more affordable, remove age limit for IVF, saysPAP Women's Wing"; 30 July). 

No advance in medical science can defy nature without grave consequences.

Currently, there is low awareness of increased risks of birth defects, complications during pregnancy, births associated with delayed childbearing, or the health risks and the long-term impact of IVF on both mother and child.

We would do well to evaluate every policy suggestion with diligent research and critical thinking. Have we learnt from history? Do we love children for who they are or for what they are worth?

The two-child policy introduced by the Singapore government during the 1970s to encourage couples to have no more than two children has been overtly successful. Message such as “Small families, brighter future – Two is enough” has been ingrained in the minds of generations thereafter. 

In our pursuit for economic growth, we did not need more children then.

The total fertility rate (TFR) dropped for four decades, from 1.82 in 1977 to 1.14 last year, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. 

Now that we have an affluent, aging population, where are our children? 

The campaign for this two-child policy was accompanied by the liberalisation of abortion up till 24 weeks of pregnancy. From 1970 to 2017, the total number of children lost through abortions is approximately 660,000. 

In 2013, over half of the 9,282 abortions were done on married women ("Abortions fall to30-year low"; July 27,2014). 

What is being done to address the underlying factors that drive these married couples to such desperation?

A child is a gift of life, with intrinsic value and of immeasurable worth.

The sanctity of life ought to be respected and modelled to our future generations, especially in suicide prevention (“Number of male teenage suicides hits record high”; 29July).