National Screening Halves Number of Children Born with Down Syndrome
November 30, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Baby, Genetics, Health
A new national strategy for screening for Down syndrome in Denmark has halved the number of Down Syndrome births and led to a 30% increase in infants diagnosed with the condition. The Danish National Board of Health issued guidelines for prenatal screening and diagnosis for Down Syndrome in 2004; these guidelines (from Science Daily)
included the offer of a combined test for Down Syndrome (based on combination of maternal age, plus serum and nuchal screening) in the first trimester. This test gave women a risk assessment for Down Syndrome at an early stage in the pregnancy. Women whose risk was higher than a defined cut off were referred for invasive diagnostic tests (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis).
The study is published in the November 27th British Medical Journal.It was recently reported that births of children with Down Syndrome are increasing in the UK. While most women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome still choose not to have the child, more are now deciding to.
Carol Boys, chief executive of the [Down's Syndrome Association], had not expected the rise in Down’s syndrome births. “It seems to show that more parents are thinking more carefully before opting for prenatal screening and termination – that being born with Down’s syndrome is being seen in a different light today,” she says on the programme.
Substitute “autism” for “Down Syndrome” in this post—-consider the increasingly widespread use of genetic testing even for things like what sport a 2 1/2-year-old should start to train for—and you know we’ve got some seriously difficult questions ahead of us.
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
Although it is encouraging that more people are choosing to not terminate their pregnancies. That having Down’s is, as she said, “being seen in a different light”.
I hope that we can have that type of a perspective shift where autism is concerned in the future.
You know, at first blush, the percentage of births sounds like a good thing… until you realize the reason behind the decrease.
I constantly worry about the ramifications of using screenings like this as a way to “select” a child. It’s akin, in my opinion, to the breeding of cattle.
Our children are not livestock. They shouldn’t be treated as such. Each one has a unique quality. And to be perfectly honest, I’ve met some “typical” people who have far less going for them than so-called special needs individuals.
Okay. My ranting is over.
Angelique
Okay — I re-read the posting and my response. Scratch my first sentence — I misinterpreted what was being said!
However, leave the rest of my ranting and raving in, please.
Angelique
We have a daughter with down syndrome, and she has been a great blessing to us. She is now a healthy 12year old attends a mainstream school in west sussex and enjoys every minute of life. I would have to say she is a healthy 12year old who has a good diet.
Visit our website to find out more about Clara and what she doing or visit our lens too
Thanks, Hazel—-Angelique, just had to quote you:
“Our children are not livestock.”
Yes.