The tumultuous feelings parents have when they first learn their child will be born with Down syndrome give way to joy and resilience, according to researchers at Kansas State University and Texas Tech University. Briana Nelson Goff and Nicole Springer, both mothers of a child with Down syndrome, have based their findings on an online survey of parents.

"The goal of our study is to help parents and professionals understand that having a child with Down syndrome isn't the end of the world; it can be a very positive experience," says Dr Goff .

Initially, most parents feel deeply shocked. "The majority said it was very devastating, and went through periods of depression, grief, mourning and shock, and felt scared, angry, disappointed or helpless," Goff said. But when those feelings subsided, parents reported that raising a child with special needs was a joyful experience.

Around 20% of the parents reported negative experiences with their doctors, compared to 8% who said their experiences were positive. Medical professionals often mentioned abortion as the only option or parents felt pressured into making a decision to abort. "This was the biggest surprise to come from the results," Goff said. "I would expect this answer from parents who had their child 20 years ago, but not from parents who had their child within the past five years. Eventually the researchers will publish a book with statistical information and personal stories from parents. ~ Kansas State Uni press release, Aug 3