Down Syndrome

Non-invasive Down syndrome test available next week

Michael Cook | 22 October 2011

A new non-invasive test for Down syndrome will be offered in 20 cities from Monday. According to an article in the journal Genetics in Medicine, it picks up 98.6% of DS children and has a false positive rate of only 0.2%. This is a vast improvement on existing screening tests, whose false positive rate can be as high as 5%.

Life with Down syndrome overwhelmingly happy, says US study

Michael Cook | 01 October 2011

The latest research on life with Down syndrome paints a very positive picture. In a major feature in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Dr Brian Skotko, of Children’s Hospital Boston, and colleagues report that “The overwhelming majority of parents surveyed report that they are happy with their decision to have their child with DS and indicate that their sons and daughters are great sources of love and pride”.

A race against time for Down syndrome research

Michael Cook | 20 August 2011

Is it possible to cure Down syndrome? Alberto Costa, a 48-year-old physician and neuroscientist at University of Colorado-Denver School of Medicine, thinks so. He has started a clinical trial on young adults with Down syndrome to see if the drug memantine helps them become “smarter”. It is the first randomized clinical trial ever to take a drug that worked in mice with Down syndrome and apply it to humans.

High doses of IVF drugs could cause Down Syndrome

Jared Yee | 08 July 2011

High doses of drugs used to stimulate the ovaries of older women undergoing fertility treatment may result in failed pregnancies and babies with conditions such as Down’s syndrome.

Down’s Syndrome test breakthrough looming

Jared Yee | 18 March 2011

Test could be available by 2013

Down syndrome screening is genocide, says New Zealand group

Michael Cook | 25 November 2010

Threat to sue the government

Positives can outweigh negatives for new parents of Down syndrome children

Michael Cook | 07 August 2010

US researchers find that doctors can be hostile

Melbourne couples sue over Down syndrome births

Michael Cook | 24 July 2010

Parents want compensation for distress and specialist care

Down’s syndrome babies depicted as non-persons in major UK newspaper

Michael Cook | 09 July 2010

Blood test still years away

Future looks bleak for ageing US adults with intellectual disabilities

Michael Cook | 09 July 2010

Doctors poorly trained to care for them, says JAMA

Wrong foetus selected in Florida termination

Michael Cook | 17 April 2010

A doctor who never said No

Down syndrome cure could be possible

Michael Cook | 21 November 2009

Stanford research focuses on reasons for cognitive delays

UK doctors fibbing about Down syndrome, says expert

Michael Cook | 14 November 2009

Trying to spare feelings of women

Lid kept on UK Down syndrome kids with prenatal testing

Michael Cook | 28 October 2009

New BMJ study

Will Down Syndrome children become extinct?

03 October 2009

92% of women abort Down Syndrome children

Down syndrome gene protects against cancer

26 May 2009

Prevents development of solid cancerous tumours

Down syndrome babies targeted

18 December 2008

Follows results of Danish screening program

Non-invasive tests to target birth defects

05 December 2008

Easier to detect Down syndrome

Alas, the good news was actually bad news

05 December 2008

Down syndrome births are decreasing, not increasing

Down syndrome births rising in UK

26 November 2008

More inclusion and acceptance