Ten score and four years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was born. That same day 204 years ago also was the birthday of Charles Darwin. The competing legacies of these two men twist through history like the spiraling parallel sides of the DNA molecule. Continue Reading
January 17, 2013
A Dream of a Brighter Future
Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It seems fitting to observe on this holiday honoring the great civil rights leader what many have called the next civil rights movement. The new wave of prenatal testing advances has brought into focus what we mean by America's creed that all are created equal. Continue Reading
November 28, 2012
An Open Letter to NDSS, NDSC, GDSF on Down syndrome prenatal testing resources
Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF) and the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) recently announced the publication of a pamphlet for patients going through prenatal testing for Down syndrome. It sparked discussion through a blog post by Dr. Brian Skotko, which was soon responded to in a joint press release by GDSF, NDSC, and the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). This is an open letter from concerned parents, professionals, advocates, and Down syndrome (DS) support group leaders who Continue Reading
November 15, 2012
What materials did your OB give you about Down syndrome?
When the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) changed its recommendations about prenatal testing for Down syndrome in 2007, it emphasized that obstetricians should be "well-informed" about Down syndrome and provide the "natural history" of Down syndrome when delivering a diagnosis. What was your experience? Was your OB well-informed and did they provide you accurate information about living a life with Down syndrome? I ask the question because studies have shown many Continue Reading
November 12, 2012
Did you get to make a choice?
In 2007, professional guidelines changed. Now, it is recommended that all expectant mothers be offered prenatal testing for Down syndrome. Previously, offering prenatal testing was limited to mothers termed "AMA" or advanced maternal age, i.e. 35 or older. When issuing its updated guidelines, ACOG issued a press release to clarify that the recommendation was simply to offer prenatal testing for Down syndrome, not that expectant mothers should have prenatal testing. But how effective was ACOG's Continue Reading
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