Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Food for thought

Science has allowed us to, in the very near future, test prenatally for Down syndrome with a non-invasive blood test performed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

It is unforeseen what impact this test will have on the future of those with Down syndrome. One can only assume that this test will increase the already astounding termination rate (92%!) for babies diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome.

Please take 5 minutes to read this article about the topic:
http://childrenshospitalblog.org/will-babies-with-down-syndrome-slowly-disappear/#disqus_thread

My favorite comment written by a reader:
People with Down syndrome are misunderstood. If you look at the facts that one in 733 live births a child with Ds is born. And 92% of mothers who get the diagnosis abort. They are supposed to be here, and they are not birth defects! 

We chose not to undergo any prenatal testing for Down syndrome. We did not have a prenatal diagnosis with Charlotte. It would not have made a difference, she is who she is, and we love her for that...




Bottom line? We need to educate doctors and future doctors so they are able to deliver accurate information to future parents of children with Down syndrome.

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