Letter: 'Pulling the plug' is not a joke

HOW callous and insensitive of Lynn Barber ('Anyone for sex and shopping?', 24 January) to describe developments in ante-natal care in such a flippant way.

A routine scan during my first pregnancy showed that our baby was anencephalic - suffering from a defect which caused malformation of the brain and skull. With the knowledge that the baby would have been stillborn, or would survive only moments, we agreed to a termination of my pregnancy. At over 20 weeks, this was extremely traumatic.

It distresses me greatly to think that people such as Ms Barber consider such a termination as 'pulling the plug' because the baby looked like being a 'dud'. I can only assume that Ms Barber had no difficulties in conceiving her own family. May I suggest she spare a thought for those of us who have.

Linda Tyler

Crondall, Surrey