November 24, 2008
Interesting news item about DS
Down's births rise despite tests
More Down Syndrome babies are being born [in the UK] than before pre-natal screening became widespread, figures show. The UK saw 749 Down's births in 2006, up from 717 in 1989 when tests came in.
See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7741411.stm
I think this gives us all a bit more hope in the world
Kim is usually to be found at his own blog, Ramblings of the Bearded One. Although you will find tales about his daughter, Meg, under his "Down's Syndrome" category, you'll find far more simply under "Fatherhood"
Filed under Dealing With Public Perceptions, Kim, Raising Awareness, This Just In by Kim Ayres
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3 Comments on Interesting news item about DS »
#1 - Kim Ayres @ 4:27 am
I hope I haven't bumped any other posts. I just heard about this, this morning and felt it was worth publishing
#2 - rickismom @ 5:02 am
Originally I would not have been impressed by this at all… after all, England has a larger popuation in these 17 years, and a highter birthrate. The percentage of births not aborte is still probably less. However, if you go to the article, you will notice that orinianally (from 1989 to 2000) the birthrate of children with DS fell way down, and since 2000, it has risen.
"But figures from the National Down's Syndrome Cytogenetic Register suggest Down's births have risen by approximately 15% as a proportion of all live births since 2000".
And of course most telling is some of the reasons:
She said: "When I and others had our babies it was a very different world - those with Down's syndrome were treated very differently.
"Now there is much greater inclusion and acceptance, with mainstream education having a huge role.
"We think this plays a part in the decisions parents make - there's even been a baby with Down's syndrome on EastEnders."
#3 - Heidi @ GGIP @ 4:46 pm
With all the medical advances of this age, you could just about say that this is a great time if you are a child with special needs. What an interesting article, thanks for sharing it.