It's Not A Choice. It's A Baby Who Just Happens To Have Down Syndrome.

Every few months I get a call from someone who either has just received a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby or is just finding out about TNI.

Yesterday I received a call from a mother who is just a few months along in her pregnancy and had received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for her unborn baby. I had a good, long conversation with her about what she can do for her baby.

But, some of the conversation dealt with the diagnosis, since it was still so fresh for her. She was discouraged because of the lack of support she had received and the comments to which people hinted towards abortion. She shared she had always been pro-life, so she was keeping her baby. But, I couldn’t sit here and be quiet over one of the comments she shared. I completely understand why she would be discouraged by the comments she has received.

She shared that one of her co-workers had said, "I'm so sorry! That is one of the worst things that could ever happen to you!"

*sigh*

People need to stop and think about what they are saying. This mother is in the very small percentage – 8% - of families who keep their baby after a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Yes, that’s right, 92% of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome have their hearts stopped by abortion and are thrown away as if they are not human.

People act like it’s the end of the world to have a child with Down syndrome. Really, folks, when that child is born, it is just.a.baby. That baby, has eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, hands, feet, legs, arms, just like you and me. It’s a human. That baby wants to be held and loved by its mother as every other newborn does. That baby needs love and care. It needs its diaper changed. That newborn depends on its mother just like every other baby born does, for love, care, nourishment, protection and its voice. You or I could’ve been born with a third chromosome. That child did not choose to have a third 21st chromosome. God chose to give that child an extra chromosome. It’s time to lighten up, start loving, have compassion on that unborn life, be that baby’s voice and realize that all children are a blessing.

You know what, just because someone might take life a little slower, doesn’t justify ending that baby’s life. It can be a good thing to slow down and appreciate the small things in life more.

Sure, there are health concerns that are associated with Down syndrome. The concern for that is understandable, but does that justify snuffing out that little one’s life? To kill a helpless life that cannot speak for itself? No, it’s time to help that child and be that child’s voice, to protect and care for that baby.

Someone can end that life within their womb because of a diagnosis of a third chromosome. But, it’s not justified, it is wrong and they will be held accountable for their acts. God gave that mother a gift. It’s not a choice. It’s a life. It’s a child. It’s a helpless baby.

I look at my brother and see what a huge blessing he has been from the moment he was born. I cannot even begin to fathom how someone could be so cold to kill (abort) such a helpless life, who had nothing to do with having an extra chromosome. Society has promoted that it’s the “mother’s choice”, but no one seems to remember that there is a baby inside of that womb who is a person. Where is that baby’s choice?

Instead of falling into the 92% of families who abort their babies who are prenatally diagnosed with Down Syndrome, I beg any expectant mothers who run across this blog, to protect that baby who is prenatally diagnosed and be a voice for that baby.

Let's celebrate this baby, who just happens to have a diagnosis of Down syndrome, and sing its birthday song when it's born. Instead of being another birthday song that is unsung, because a child was thrown away, torn up and had its heart stopped. Simply because someone didn’t have the love to care for a child who was a little different.

As I sit here and type through the tears, I realize this post may upset some people, but I will not apologize for speaking up for those babies whose hearts are stopped at the hand of violence, and who suffer for wrong, cloaked in the name of ‘choice.’  I’m not afraid to speak up for the unborn babies who have their bloodshed and are torn up by such a shameful, heartless act. Because it’s not her choice, therefore I will not keep silent.

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"I'm Sorry"

When someone hears that you have a child with Down syndrome, sometimes they respond with an "I'm Sorry."

There's nothing to be sorry about when you find out someone has a child with DS. Nothing. Sorry that they have a child with an extra chromosome? It's not that big of a deal. Sure, there are challenges that come along with it, but it's not a problem to be sorry about.

Our typical response to this is, "We're sorry everyone doesn't have a kid with Down syndrome."

And that is the truth. We often say this, even around our home, because O is a big blessing to our family. He makes us laugh. He's so happy. It would be good if more people had someone like that in their life.

I thought of this when I was getting O ready for the bed the other night. He was getting his Pajamas on (which are his favorite thing to wear lately :)) and he put them on all by himself. I layed them out for him so that it's very obvious where he needed to put his legs, his arms, etc. After he got them on, he threw his arms up in the air in excitement and jumped up and down with laughter. He was thrilled because he did it all by himself.

Then he put his thumb up and said "O cool" and ran and gave me a big hug.

He was excited over such a little thing. But, it really makes your day when you have someone who is excited about life. Especially the small things.

When he did this, I thought, how could someone say they're sorry we have a child like this?

Don't be sorry for us. We're glad that we have someone with Down syndrome in our life.



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Saving Down Syndrome

A New Zealand group has formed called Saving Down Syndrome. The goal of the group is to counteract the genetic screening which the New Zealand government has recently pursued to find out about the diagnosis of Down Syndrome prenatally.

As I've said numerous times on here before, I have no problem with prenatal testing for Down syndrome if the goal is to help and better improve the life of the baby with Down syndrome. But, unfortunately, most of the time, the child is aborted and not helped. As the statistics show time and again 90% of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

It's sickening and sad.

Here's a quote about what Saving Down Syndrome is trying to do:

At savingdowns.com we advocate for the life of people with Down syndrome from conception to natural death.

We are a New Zealand based group of parents and siblings of people with Down syndrome. We have formed in response to the New Zealand Government's new state funded eugenic antenatal screening programme that targets and identifies unborn children with Down syndrome for selective abortion. Were in the news for standing for the life of people with Down syndrome.

As reported on TV3 News we lodged an application with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 29 June 2011 against the screening programme. The ICC has confirmed that this application is being considered. The Office of the Prosecutor has been asked to investigate and intervene in the Ministry of Health's antenatal screening programme, as it persecutes against people with Down syndrome through the prevention of their births.

The eugenic nature of the screening programme was exposed in TV3's 60 Minutes documentary on 12 June 2011 “Down but not out''.

The 60 Minutes documentary was introduced with the statement “people with Down syndrome may soon disappear from the face of the earth.'' 60 Minutes revealed the new screening programme was introduced without public consultation and the Ministry of Health “did not bother'' asking the opinion of anyone who has Down syndrome, about the programme.

Mike Sullivan, father of three-year-old Rebecca Sullivan who has Down syndrome, featured in the 60 Minutes documentary. He said people with Down syndrome and other disabilities are human beings who live full and rewarding lives. “They must be treated on an equal basis with other members of our society, without any form of discrimination.''

De-Anne Jensen, mother of three with her oldest son having Down syndrome also featured on 60 Minutes. “Government documents say it costs less not to have children with Down syndrome around, so it looks like they are working to do away with Down syndrome. It's cheaper; you don't have to pay for the special needs things. The Government and medical experts are putting a monetary value on our baby's lives,'' Mrs Jensen said.

The complaint references Government Cabinet papers obtained under the Official Information Act stating the outcomes of the programme will be a reduction in the number of births of people with Down syndrome, with around 90% of unborn children diagnosed with the condition being terminated. The persecution of an identifiable group of the civilian population through the prevention of births is specifically prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which New Zealand is signatory.

The programme is promoted and funded by the government at a cost of $9.4M per year, or around $75,000 per unborn child diagnosed with Down syndrome.

We are supported by parents of children with other disabilities that are being similarly targeted and other organisations who support their concerns.

Our position statement is that genetic screening must not be used to prevent the birth of unborn children with Down syndrome, or cause harm to any unborn child.

We recognises genetic testing may help some parents prepare for the birth of a child with Down syndrome. Any testing must respect the life and integrity of the unborn child, cause no harm, be only directed towards safeguarding or healing the unborn child and be presented in a way that does not discriminate against people with Down syndrome or any disability. Any testing must be developed in full engagement with those with Down syndrome.

Down But Not Out

Last year, New Zealand introduced a new blood test as part of an improved screening programme for Down Syndrome. But a group of parents provocatively calls it eugenics; the practice of selective breeding of the human race. Because worldwide data shows the better the testing programme, the more Down Syndrome pregnancies are terminated.

60 Minutes reporter Paula Penfold meets those who live with Down Syndrome to see what kind of lives they do lead, and asks the question at the heart of the issue: should they, or shouldn't they have been born?

You can watch the video at this link.

As I've said before, I would agree that improved screening will more than likely equal a higher rate of abortion for prenatally diagnosed babies with Down syndrome. Statistics already show that. over 90% of babies with Down syndrome prenatally diagnosed are aborted. And it's really disheartening.

It would be great if the testing was accepted and provided as a way to provide the best possible care for the unborn baby. But, our society is so turned on it's head, that's it's used for the opposite, to destroy the baby.

Mom's blood test can reveal Down syndrome

Here's yet more research on ways to prenatally detect Down syndrome. Just to add to the 92%+ abortion rate of prenatally diagnosed babies with Down syndrome. 

Completely disgusting!

Advancements in medicine have been amazing, but at some point the science seems to have usurped the need for human care.  A health science degree has become synonymous with cold, calculating reason as opposed to a common part of the human existence. With 1 in 691 babies being born with Down Syndrome in the US every year, it is important that detection no longer be the only goal for health science professionals. In devoting more study to those who live with Down Syndrome, the extra 21st chromosome could have a cure not solely be the cause for concern.

Ya know, I'd be all for prenatal testing if it was there strictly to help the unborn child. For the mother to be able to take supplements to be able to help that baby be born as healthy as possible. Because, the babies whose mothers do keep them when diagnosed prenatally, and take prenatal TNI supplements, are born with fewer heart defects & better muscle tone. So, they are already on a better start with better health. 

But, no, of course, the medical research isn't going for that. 

Sigh.

Study: Mom's blood test can reveal Down syndrome

NEW YORK — Scientists in Europe report they were able to diagnose Down syndrome prenatally by giving a simple blood test to pregnant women, an approach that might one day help them avoid the more extensive procedure used now to detect the condition.

The preliminary report published online Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine is the latest of several recent studies that suggest scientists can spot Down syndrome through fetal DNA that has been shed into the mother's bloodstream.

Down syndrome, which results in cognitive delays, is caused by having an extra copy of a particular chromosome. Currently, pregnant women get blood tests and ultrasound to find out if the fetus is at risk for Down syndrome. For a firm diagnosis, doctors take a sample of amniotic fluid or the placenta.

Those sampling procedures involve a small risk of miscarriage. A reliable diagnostic blood test also could give an answer earlier than the standard tests.

Several research teams have published studies suggesting that analyzing the mother's blood can detect Down syndrome in a fetus. There's no commercial test available yet, but at least one company hopes to introduce one in the U.S. within about a year.

In the latest report, scientists in Cyprus, Greece and England said that in a blind test, they correctly identified 14 Down syndrome cases and 26 normal fetuses.

They said a bigger study is needed to confirm the usefulness of their approach.

Will babies with Down syndrome slowly disappear?

Recently a new study came out with a more accurate (& safer) test to detect Down syndrome prenatally. Dr. Skotko posted on the Children's Hospital Boston blog regarding this new test and I thought I would share it.

It's sad that they would be looking to find a more accurate & safer test, because most of the time the tests are not used to help the child, but rather to abort the baby. As Dr. Jerome Lejeune said, he was disappointed that his research which found what caused Down syndrome was not being used to help these individuals, but rather to selectively get rid of them.

Yes, Dr. Lejeune's discovery of Trisomy 21 has been able to guide some research to find ways to help people with Down syndrome. But, the vast majority of Down syndrome research, is focused on ways to reduce & get rid of babies with Down syndrome.

Dr. Skotko has a sister with Down syndrome and has done a lot of study on prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Will babies with Down syndrome slowly disappear?

Written by Brian Skotko, MD, MPP

(Children’s Hospital Boston Clinical Genetics Fellow, Down Syndrome Program)

Last week a breaking study in the British Medical Journal offered a glimpse into our reproductive futures: soon, a non-invasive test will allow expectant mothers to know whether their fetus has Down syndrome.

Current prenatal tests for Down syndrome are invasive and can potentially cause a miscarriage, making them undesirable for many women. But now scientists have learned how to quantify the fetal copies of the 21st chromosome, the genetic basis for Down syndrome, with a simple blood test taken in the first trimester. These tests would be safer, faster, and, most likely, cheaper than anything available today.

While the research brings a scientific breakthrough, the prenatal tests also usher in a provocative question: will the births of babies with Down syndrome begin to decrease because of this testing? Since the new tests are non-invasive, researchers believe that the overwhelming majority of expectant parents will pursue such testing. And, with the tests being safer and cheaper than current methods, insurance companies will most likely have no problem defraying costs for anyone who wants one. As a result Down syndrome will most likely become a prenatal discovery for nearly all pregnant women. And, when prenatal testing does confirm that the child will be born with Down syndrome, more expectant parents will need to decide:  should we continue or terminate our pregnancy?

Part of their decision will be based on the information they receive about Down syndrome from their medical providers. Yet, the majority of medical students argue that they get minimal education on children with intellectual disabilities; and nearly half of obstetric fellows claim their residency training is “barely adequate” to “nonexistent” in terms of how to counsel would-be parents of a child with intellectual disabilities. Some physicians who do routinely deliver a prenatal diagnosis also admit to purposely describing Down syndrome in negative terms. Not unexpectedly, then, many mothers feel that they receive inadequate, incomplete and sometimes offensive information about children with this condition.

Currently, 92% of all women worldwide who receive a definitive prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to terminate their pregnancy. Based on those numbers, what does the future hold for the Down syndrome population once the new prenatal tests are available? The answer lies nestled in profoundly personal decisions, but still raises an important question, one that will be asked more and more frequently as other forms of prenatal testing come to the market: which forms of human genetic variation are valuable, and which are not?

31 for 21: Dual Diagnoses

There are many dual diagnoses around, even in kids with Down syndrome. Just in the few years since being involved in online forums & email groups, I've come across a fair amount of them.

Down syndrome with.....
-Autism
-Spina Bifida
-Cerebral Palsy
-Cystic Fibrosis
-Pulmonary Hypertension
-Crohn's Disease
-and so much more.

With some families, "Down syndrome" gets forgotten about, because the child's medical problems far outweigh the concerns that can come with Down syndrome.

One of the more common dual diagnoses seems to be Autism. I know several families who have that dual diagnosis.

One of those families has a little boy named Jack. He's just a bit older (by about a year or so, I think) than Osiyyah. When he was under a year old he was a normal little boy with DS, doing great. His family slowly started to see regression in him. By using certain oils, they were able to stop that regression. But, when he had his 12 month vaccines, he lost everything he had learned. And everything he was capable of. He regressed 100%. In Jack's case, the vaccines threw him into full blown Autism. His family has been able to help him some by using biomedical intervention and he is slowly recovering. But, he is not where he could've been had he not been thrown into Autism by the vaccines. I know the vaccine-Autism mention is a touchy one, but in Jack's case, it is what threw him into it.

Now, there are other families I know who have the Autism-DS diagnosis that may not have necessarily been caused by vaccines. One family I know has a 20 yr old daughter, Jamie, with Aut-DS. She's had a plethora of medical problems since she was little and so could that have contributed to her Autism? Who knows exactly what caused it.

Autism is a touchy issue and one that doesn't always have definitive answers. That's why it's called the Autism-Spectrum-Disorder. Some children it's obvious what has caused it (like Jack's case), but other's it is not so clear. In some children with DS, certain genes on the 21st chromosome can make them have Autism. But, that is not necessarily always the cause for it in DS.

I asked Jamie's mom some of the best resources she's found and these are a couple books she suggested:

Book: Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome by Dennis McGuire, Ph.D. & Brian Chicoine, M.D. *specifically chapter on Autism.

Book: Down Syndrome & Vitamin Therapy by Kent Macleod *the chapter on Autism

Some more good links regarding DS-Autism would be,

Riverbend's articles on Autism & DS (in the side bar, click "Medical Series" and it'll be under there)

Disability Solutions issue on Dual Dx.


Einstein-Syndrome post regarding DS-Aut.

Here are a few email listservs for DS-Aut:

Ds-autism - Yahoo! Group for dual dx.

DSAofLouisville - Yahoo! Group for dual dx, but the focus of this group is biomedical intervention and specific diets.

Regarding some of the other dual diagnoses, here are some resources on that.

Evan, God's Best Gift, written by a mother of a boy who has spina bifida & Down syndrome. Priscilla Kendrick is still on some of the online email groups and her son is doing pretty well. Last I heard he was having to use a wheel chair at least some of the time.

Praying for Parker, this is the blog of a mom who has a little boy with DS, Pulmonary Hypertension & many other medical issues that are not related to DS.

(P.S. I just added a printer friendly option to our blog and it'll appear on every post!)

31 for 21: Top 15 Things

Miriam Kauk from the Einstein Syndrome website wrote a series of blog posts a few months back on the "Top 15 Things a New Parent Should Know." Miriam's daughter with DS is 16 years old now, so through the years Miriam has learned a lot. The ES website was one of the best websites we ran into when Osiyyah was a few months old. It was a huge help to us.

There is also an ES listserv, which I will share tomorrow. But, for today, I'll share the Top 15 Things by Miriam.

I'll start by quoting her:

For the past several months I’ve had an article, and/or a series of blog posts stewing around in my mind.  “The top 10 things new parents of a child with Down syndrome should know.”  In our 16 years with Mary, I have learned a tremendous amount, most of it the hard way.  And I realize that this website does not have this information in any way that is easily accessible.  It is all there in the archives of the email list, but the hunting and distilling would be a daunting task for any new parent.

So today I’m writing.  I have clarity on what I need to do, and the time is now.   I have a deadline of early next week when this article must be finished.  After that I’ll refine it into a series of blog posts.

Yesterday I took several pads of neon colored post-it notes and wrote my topics on them. I laid them out,  sorted,  moved and prioritized.  I ended with 15 piles of topics, not ten, and I can’t cut it down.

Her list:

15.  Treat the Thyroid

14.  Start Ginkgo Biloba Now

13.  Aggressively Treat Ear Fluid and Upper Respiratory Infections

12.  Begin Now with a Kitchen Makeover

11. Become Professor Parent, PhD

10.  Focus on Gut Health

9.  Learn to Build and Support the Immune System

8.  Don’t Wait for “Their Own Time.”

7.  Pursue Speech, not Sign

6.  Prioritize Behavior

5.  Get a Neurodevelopmental Evaluation and Do the Program

4.  Research the Vaccine Controversy for Yourself

3. Acknowledge and Treat Gene Over-expression

2.  Beware of Creeping Low Expectations

1.  Embrace Your Calling

You can view it all at this link.

Interesting Story

This was posted on another email list and I found it interesting. Perspective is so much! If we would've listened to the "possibilities" of Down syndrome when we were given the diagnosis after Osiyyah was born, he wouldn't be who he is today. Praise God, he's given us the wisdom, skills, knowledge & ability to let Osiyyah thrive far beyond the dark, sad "possibilites" those so called "professionals" told us that day.

 

A Story about My Two Daughters
How to Live in the World of Possibility
By Candee Basford

My first daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome soon after she was born. Her language is delayed. Her abstract thinking abilities impaired. She is easily distracted and sometimes refuses to follow or listen to directions. She has some autistic-like tendencies. She has a bilateral hearing loss. Hearing aides have been recommended but she refuses to wear them. She has an uncorrected vision of 20/200 and a corrected vision of 20/60 at a distance. She is highly farsighted with nystagmus. She can be extremely stubborn and sometimes makes inappropriate comments. She can perform some functional tasks but has trouble with basic tasks like counting money and making change. She can follow simple cooking instructions. She can make her bed.

My second daughter is a sophomore in college. She is majoring in science. She loves anatomy and physiology, biology and anything connected to science. She loves to read but because of a vision loss she needs to take frequent breaks. She has a hearing loss so it helps if she can see the speaker and keep background noise to a minimum. Recently, she has become very interested in sketching portraits. Because of this new interest she is taking a course in advanced drawing. She is popular – the life of the party. She loves to flirt – in fact, her senior class in high school voted her most flirtatious. She has many friends. She has the ability to make other people feel welcome and loved. She is persistent, loves having fun and has a great personality. She loves to dance, travel and write to and receive letters from friends. She dreams of starting her own rock band.

The story of my two daughters illustrates the power of our words and our perspectives. It illustrates the power of the scientific processes and the labels we continue to use to diagnose, predict and sort people.

How? Both stories are about the same person, my daughter. The stories “differ in the way they are constructed – in their purpose – in their consequences – and in the assumptions they shape.” (O’Brien & Mount)

The story about my "first daughter” was constructed from exact words and phrases found on my daughter's school and employment related documents, written in the language of professionals, educators, psychologists and job specialists. It tells what she can’t do, won’t do and why. In this story, she is in need of repair, and thus in need of lots of professionals to fix her. The purpose of this story, in part, is compliance with federal and state regulations. The first consequence is that we (and the rest of society) accept the story as true and begin to adopt the language and beliefs and practices. Once that happens, the sad consequence is segregation, a client’s life, a planned life surrounded by professionals. The assumption in the story about my first daughter is that she is needy, broken, difficult and – most important – that her life should be safe and predictable surrounded by the service system.

The story about my “second” daughter was constructed from love, experience and by paying attention to gifts. It is told from the perspective that my daughter has immeasurable capacity once she has a valued and connected life in her community. The story about my second daughter is shaped (and lived) from a capacity perspective. This story is told in “context” of a life connected to others, a life that unfolds in exciting and unexpected ways precisely because of the many relationships she has. The consequences of this story are community and risk taking and surprises. The consequence is citizenship. The assumption in the story about my second daughter is that she is person who has capacity, interests, gifts, and contributions especially when her life unfolds in the presence of and participation in community.

The story of my two daughters represents two different worlds – the world of measurement and the world of possibility. Often, as my daughter grew up, I felt the overwhelming gravity of the world of measurement, pulling her toward specialized services and segregation with the promise of safety, and simplicity, and repair. In the world of measurement you get to know others by measuring and comparing. But it is the world of possibility that I find most powerful and promising.

The story about my second daughter is the story of possibility. It is the NEW story that we must learn to tell. It is the story told (and lived) from a capacity perspective, from a community perspective. We can learn to tell this NEW story by first examining our own perceptions and advocacy efforts. We can learn to tell the NEW story by listening, seeing, asking, discovering and taking action in the direction of gifts and capacities. We can learn to LIVE the NEW story by supporting rich relationships and taking actions that lead to more inclusive opportunities in our schools and in our communities, for it is these rich inclusive and ordinary experiences that will yield the context necessary to live in the world of possibility.

Qadoshyah

Down Syndrome: What You CAN Do is available at Amazon!

Our book which we recently published, Down Syndrome: What You CAN Do is now available through Amazon! It took a few months to get it into Amazon, but we are very glad to announce that it is finally there.

You can see the book at this link:

Down Syndrome: What You CAN Do by Qadoshyah Fish

We also have full color flyers printed that can be included in new parent packets, or just to hand out to anyone you feel would be interested. Feel free to email (qf @ gotdownsyndrome.net - remove spaces) if you would like some mailed to you!


Qadoshyah

January: National Birth Defects Awareness Month

I came across an article at healthnews.com through my Google Alerts today.

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month.

The article below from healthnews.com is a good article, encouraging help for babies & mothers. But, the truth is that a major part of this so called, "prevention" includes abortion, whether the public wants to admit it or not. So, I thought I'd post this incase anybody has any ideas on any awareness that can be spread from the DS community. I know the awareness may not necessarily be the kind of awareness that is being encouraged, but nonetheless something may be able to be done I think.

I hope to be able to spread a lot of awareness this month by giving copies of our book to doctors, hospitals & even the general public.

National Birth Defects Prevention Month
By: Lara Endreszl
Published: Monday, 5 January 2009

Infants are by far the most fragile form of life that hospitals and families help bring into this world because they are new and have no way of telling us if something is wrong. November was Premature Baby Awareness Month and now it is no surprise that January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, because babies are a high priority.

A birth defect is defined as a structural, functional, or metabolism abnormality and several thousand of them have been recorded throughout history. As a leading cause of infant mortality including over 20 percent of all infant deaths in the United States each year, the impact of birth defects is greater than anyone would care to think about. There are 18 birth defects common to the rest of the infant population that survive the initial diagnosis and the estimated cost to provide care for those infants is more than $8 billion. According to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) nearly 70 percent of birth defects are caused by unknown circumstances. Other causes include genetic and environmental factors or any combination of the two. Factors such as quality of life for the mother and baby, history of certain disorders, gene defects, etc, can all cause birth defects.

Research done by the NBDPN says that there are currently 37 states with operational birth defect facilities, 8 states with plans for operational facilities, and still 5 states without any functioning data centers for birth defect research. The main Centers for Birth Defects Centers for Research and Prevention are in the following states providing incredible investigations into trends among infants born with certain defects, innovative prevention tactics, and developing policies for children living with these disorders: California, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York and Utah.

Each January the NBFPN develops a theme in which to provide information relating to birth defects and prevention in a concentrated way. The theme for 2009 is “Getting Fit for Pregnancy,” helping newly pregnant women to deal with the pressures of keeping their bodies healthy while eating for two or more. By spreading national awareness with their theme, many women can benefit from knowing the risks involved in carrying a baby by having the stress of excess weight on their bodies prior to conception. Obesity is a growing epidemic and women who fall into a specific weight bracket in conjunction with their age and height, tend to have riskier pregnancies as a result of the body’s added exertion and are more likely to have hypertension, preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

With an estimated 120,000 babies born each year in America with birth defects, one in every 33 infants struggles to stay alive each day. Down syndrome, cleft lip or palate, and spina bifida are among the most common birth defects dealt with on a daily basis. Other birth defects include a type of dwarfism called Achondroplasia, a disease affecting connective tissue called Marfan syndrome, a nervous system disease called Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, heart defects, and other musculoskeletal, eye and gastrointestinal defects. To keep your children and their future children safe from birth defects, spread the awareness in order to garner attention and gain support and donations in order to open research facilities in all states and keep prevention—and future infants—healthy.

Qadoshyah

Prenatal Diagnosis . . .

I was searching PubMed late last night to see what was new in the research area of Down syndrome. While there was a pretty good amount (10 or so) of new studies in the area of finding out research to help individuals with Down syndrome, there were alot (15!) of studies in the October issue of the journal, "Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology" for ways to identify babies with Down syndrome in-utero; in the first or second trimesters. This does not count the other studies (there were quite a few of those too) which are published in other medical journals on the subject of prenatal diagnosis of DS.

These studies can be a good thing, if the parents want to know their child has Down syndrome so they can be prepared to meet any of the baby's medical problems at birth. But, sadly, in our society today, these ways to identify a baby with DS in utero, will be used for termination.

Already, there is a horrible statistic that 90% of babies with DS are aborted!

It's too bad so much effort is bing put towards ways in which these babies will be killed (aborted), instead of the much needed research of ways to help these individuals once they are born and through their life.

Yes, there is research which is currently being done to help these individuals, but there is a whole lot more focus on ways to "identify" them in utero.

This is what was Dr. Jerome Lejeune's (discovered Trisomy 21) discouragement,

“To his great despair, however, it became "fashionable" to destroy the patients which could not
be cured. Whereas the results of his research should have led to the advance of medical
knowledge on the road to finding a cure, instead, they were used for the earliest detection of
children suffering from such disorders, and in most cases to destroy them. "