| OLDER MOTHERS APPEAR MOST AT RISK | | | | needs. |
| Down Syndrome occurs in one in eight hundred births | | | | - The chances of a lifelong dependency of a Down |
| in the U.S. About 5,000 children with Down Syndrome | | | | Syndrome individual are very good.A decided minority |
| are born in the country annually. The general, | | | | go on to become relatively independent adults. All, |
| conventional belief is that the incidence of this | | | | under the best of circumstances, have mild to |
| disorder increases with the mother's age, with less | | | | moderate disabilities coupled with a wide variation in |
| than a one in a thousand risk of a woman under | | | | mental abilities and behavior. |
| thirty having a Down Syndrome baby. The risk is | | | | - Associated health conditions are common. Heart, |
| presumed to increase to one in twenty five for the | | | | lungs, and gastro-intestinal systems are most often |
| 45 year old mother. | | | | affected with congenital heart defects affecting |
| But the National Association for Down Syndrome | | | | 40% of these children. Leukemia affects these |
| points out that more current research shows that | | | | children 10 to 15 times more often than normal |
| 80% of babies born with Down Syndrome are to | | | | children. |
| women under 35 years of age! So this suggests very | | | | - Bringing up a Down Syndrome child can be very |
| strongly that the mother's age will not determine the | | | | stressful, and expensive. |
| actual risk. A close review of current research | | | | - Mothers of Down Syndrome children generally |
| statistics provides a convincing argument that simply | | | | outlive them. |
| looking at the mother's age will miss 75% of all Down | | | | - Nevertheless, Down Syndrome children are generally |
| Syndrome cases. | | | | placid, non aggressive, and loving. |
| So much for statistics. We need to keep in mind that | | | | - Awareness of Down Syndrome is improving and |
| younger women are much more likely to get | | | | the social and educational supports needed are |
| pregnant. This fact alone can skew all the statistics | | | | becoming easier to find. Special nutritional needs for |
| doctors are so fond of reciting. A very careful | | | | these children are becoming better understood as |
| analysis of them brings us back to the original idea | | | | time goes on. |
| that older women have in fact, a higher risk, as | | | | - Many mothers of these children are happy to have |
| individuals, of having a Down Syndrome baby. | | | | had them and support groups abound. |
| TO ABORT OR NOT TO ABORT | | | | So whether or not to be screened is a decision that |
| The question every woman over 35 and | | | | can only be made by the mother. And whether or |
| contemplating pregnancy is faced with is; "should I | | | | not to abort a Down Syndrome fetus is another |
| consider screening?" And if the test comes back | | | | implacable decision to be made. Neither is easy.There |
| positive, it then comes down to the question of to | | | | is not a totally satisfactory answer to this dilemma. |
| abort, or not to abort. For some women, abortion is | | | | Whatever the mother decides, she is likely to have |
| unthinkable. For others it can be a serious, gut | | | | moments of regret forever after. The question |
| wrenching conflict. Here are some facts every | | | | needs to be thought out very carefully. |
| woman pregnant with a Down Syndrome baby | | | | |