DownsTesting Recommended for Everyone

[Guest guest]

_http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome_

(http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome)

Hope this link works. It's from a article this morning. I cut and

pasted it below.

WASHINGTON - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down syndrome

testing no longer hinges on whether they're older or younger than 35. This

week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists begins

recommending

that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of tests

for this common birth defect.

The main reason: Tests far less invasive than the long-used amniocentesis are

now widely available, some that can tell in the first trimester the risk of

a fetus having Down syndrome or other chromosomal defects.

It's a change that promises to decrease unnecessary amnios — giving

mothers-to-be peace of mind without the ordeal — while also detecting Down

syndrome

in moms who otherwise would have gone unchecked.

The new guideline is published in the January issue of the journal Obstetrics

& Gynecology.

About one in 800 babies has Down syndrome, a condition where having an extra

chromosome causes mental retardation, a characteristic broad, flat face and

small head and, often, serious heart defects.

Age 35 was always a somewhat arbitrary threshhold for urging mothers-to-be to

seek testing. Yes, the older women are, the higher their risk of having a

baby with Down syndrome.

But it's a gradual increase in risk — from one in 1,200 at age 25 to about

one in 300 at age 35. Nothing suddenly changes at the 35th birthday. Indeed,

because more babies are born to younger women than older ones, women under 35

actually give birth to most of the nation's children with Down syndrome.

" It's clear there's no magic jump at 35, " said Dr. Goldberg of San

Francisco Perinatal Associates, a member of the ACOG committee that developed

the guideline. " We've done away with age 35 because the screening tests have

gotten much better. "

It's not just a question of whether to continue the pregnancy. Prenatal

diagnosis also is important for those who wouldn't consider abortion, because

babies with Down syndrome can need specialized care at delivery that affects

hospital selection, he added.

The original age-35 trigger was chosen years ago when doctors had less

information about the risk of Down syndrome, and the only choice for prenatal

detection was an amnio, using a needle to draw fluid from the amniotic sac, he

said. Amnios are highly accurate but were reserved for women at higher risk of

an affected pregnancy because they occasionally cause miscarriage. A study

this fall put the miscarriage risk at one in 1,600 pregnancies, far lower than

previous estimates.

Also today, women have more options. Doctors already frequently offer younger

women blood tests that don't definitively diagnose Down syndrome like an

amnio or a similar invasive test called chorionic villus sampling — but that

can

signal who's at higher risk.

The newest method, topping ACOG's recommendation for everyone, is a

first-trimester screening that combines blood tests with a simple ultrasound

exam,

called a " nuchal translucency test " to measure the thickness of the back of the

fetal neck.

Studies from England, where the nuchal translucency combo has been used for

about a decade, and the U.S. conclude that screening method is more than 80

percent accurate, with a very small risk of falsely indicating Down syndrome in

a healthy fetus. It is performed between 11 and 13 weeks into pregnancy, and

women are usually given numerical odds of carrying an affected fetus.

A woman determined to be high risk then still has time for an invasive test

to tell for sure.

Women who don't seek prenatal care until the second trimester can still

undergo blood tests known as the triple or quadruple screens.

The guideline also says women of any age can choose to skip the screening and

go straight for invasive testing, an approach that might appeal to those

with chromosomal defects in the family.

" This new recommendation makes a lot of sense, " said Dr. Green of the

March of Dimes. " Maternal age no longer plays such an important role because

the screening is better. "

Each test comes with pros and cons, and the new guideline advises doctors to

check what's available in their communities — nuchal translucency testing

isn't easy to get everywhere — and discuss the best options with each

patient.

[Guest guest]

About time.

~ Thanks!

Kim L. Doll, PMP

IT Acquisition Solutions - Project Manager

DIRECTV, Inc

(310) 964-4358 (w)

(310) 503-6822 ©

kdoll2@... (IM)

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of kindafunny@...

Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 8:52 AM

Subject: DownsTesting Recommended for Everyone

_http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome_

<http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome_>

(http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome

<http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome> )

Hope this link works. It's from a article this morning. I cut and

pasted it below.

WASHINGTON - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down

syndrome

testing no longer hinges on whether they're older or younger than 35.

This

week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists begins

recommending

that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of

tests

for this common birth defect.

The main reason: Tests far less invasive than the long-used

amniocentesis are

now widely available, some that can tell in the first trimester the risk

of

a fetus having Down syndrome or other chromosomal defects.

It's a change that promises to decrease unnecessary amnios - giving

mothers-to-be peace of mind without the ordeal - while also detecting

Down syndrome

in moms who otherwise would have gone unchecked.

The new guideline is published in the January issue of the journal

Obstetrics

& Gynecology.

About one in 800 babies has Down syndrome, a condition where having an

extra

chromosome causes mental retardation, a characteristic broad, flat face

and

small head and, often, serious heart defects.

Age 35 was always a somewhat arbitrary threshhold for urging

mothers-to-be to

seek testing. Yes, the older women are, the higher their risk of having

a

baby with Down syndrome.

But it's a gradual increase in risk - from one in 1,200 at age 25 to

about

one in 300 at age 35. Nothing suddenly changes at the 35th birthday.

Indeed,

because more babies are born to younger women than older ones, women

under 35

actually give birth to most of the nation's children with Down syndrome.

" It's clear there's no magic jump at 35, " said Dr. Goldberg of San

Francisco Perinatal Associates, a member of the ACOG committee that

developed

the guideline. " We've done away with age 35 because the screening tests

have

gotten much better. "

It's not just a question of whether to continue the pregnancy. Prenatal

diagnosis also is important for those who wouldn't consider abortion,

because

babies with Down syndrome can need specialized care at delivery that

affects

hospital selection, he added.

The original age-35 trigger was chosen years ago when doctors had less

information about the risk of Down syndrome, and the only choice for

prenatal

detection was an amnio, using a needle to draw fluid from the amniotic

sac, he

said. Amnios are highly accurate but were reserved for women at higher

risk of

an affected pregnancy because they occasionally cause miscarriage. A

study

this fall put the miscarriage risk at one in 1,600 pregnancies, far

lower than

previous estimates.

Also today, women have more options. Doctors already frequently offer

younger

women blood tests that don't definitively diagnose Down syndrome like an

amnio or a similar invasive test called chorionic villus sampling - but

that can

signal who's at higher risk.

The newest method, topping ACOG's recommendation for everyone, is a

first-trimester screening that combines blood tests with a simple

ultrasound exam,

called a " nuchal translucency test " to measure the thickness of the back

of the

fetal neck.

Studies from England, where the nuchal translucency combo has been used

for

about a decade, and the U.S. conclude that screening method is more than

80

percent accurate, with a very small risk of falsely indicating Down

syndrome in

a healthy fetus. It is performed between 11 and 13 weeks into pregnancy,

and

women are usually given numerical odds of carrying an affected fetus.

A woman determined to be high risk then still has time for an invasive

test

to tell for sure.

Women who don't seek prenatal care until the second trimester can still

undergo blood tests known as the triple or quadruple screens.

The guideline also says women of any age can choose to skip the

screening and

go straight for invasive testing, an approach that might appeal to those

with chromosomal defects in the family.

" This new recommendation makes a lot of sense, " said Dr. Green of

the

March of Dimes. " Maternal age no longer plays such an important role

because

the screening is better. "

Each test comes with pros and cons, and the new guideline advises

doctors to

check what's available in their communities - nuchal translucency

testing

isn't easy to get everywhere - and discuss the best options with each

patient.

[Guest guest]

They have been testing me for the last ten years ( since 1996) when I

was 25 and have with every pregnancy since then. I am glad they

mentioned delivery at a more specialized hospital. But still 80-90 % of

babies who test positive for DS are exterminated. Maybe it would just

be better to make sure all hospitals can care for babies with such needs

at birth, instead of prenatal testing.

Steph

" Truth is not determined by a majority vote. "

-Cardinal ph Ratzinger

http://360./rnscarlson

WASHINGTON - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down

syndrome

testing no longer hinges on whether they're older or younger than 35.

This

week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists begins

recommending

that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of

tests

for this common birth defect.

It's not just a question of whether to continue the pregnancy. Prenatal

diagnosis also is important for those who wouldn't consider abortion,

because

babies with Down syndrome can need specialized care at delivery that

affects

hospital selection, he added.

[Guest guest]

I was just going to post this article too....I think that is a terrible thing

because 80 -90 % of all the babies who have DS will be terminated. It sends out

a message that only the " perfect " children should be allowed to live. I know

that there are a few who want to know for medical reasons and there are a few

who keep their baby anyways....but the numbers are low.....most terminate. What

does this say about our society?.

There is a push for medical perfection that reminds me of the beliefs of Nazi

Germany. Take some time to think about our search for human perfection and what

it says about freedom, tolerance and human rights. This ethical issue affects

us all no matter what religion we are or where we live. What does this say

about how we, as a society, think of those who are different? Whose idea of

perfection are we aiming for? How far will we let this go? Do we value

diversity? Or, do we value human perfection? We are systematically eliminating

those who might be born unique and we must think about the long term

consequences of our actions and how these values affect our children.

Also, just wait a few years and I will bet that insurance companies are

going to try to use this to deny claims based on having a baby that has a

disability.

Happy New Year and all of the best,

Dawn

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing

an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who

turns back soonest is the most progressive. "

C.S.

kindafunny@... wrote:

_http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome_

(http://news./s/ap/20061231/ap_on_he_me/down_syndrome)

Hope this link works. It's from a article this morning. I cut and

pasted it below.

WASHINGTON - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down syndrome

testing no longer hinges on whether they're older or younger than 35. This

week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists begins

recommending

that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of tests

for this common birth defect.

The main reason: Tests far less invasive than the long-used amniocentesis are

now widely available, some that can tell in the first trimester the risk of

a fetus having Down syndrome or other chromosomal defects.

It's a change that promises to decrease unnecessary amnios — giving

mothers-to-be peace of mind without the ordeal — while also detecting Down

syndrome

in moms who otherwise would have gone unchecked.

The new guideline is published in the January issue of the journal Obstetrics

& Gynecology.

About one in 800 babies has Down syndrome, a condition where having an extra

chromosome causes mental retardation, a characteristic broad, flat face and

small head and, often, serious heart defects.

Age 35 was always a somewhat arbitrary threshhold for urging mothers-to-be to

seek testing. Yes, the older women are, the higher their risk of having a

baby with Down syndrome.

But it's a gradual increase in risk — from one in 1,200 at age 25 to about

one in 300 at age 35. Nothing suddenly changes at the 35th birthday. Indeed,

because more babies are born to younger women than older ones, women under 35

actually give birth to most of the nation's children with Down syndrome.

" It's clear there's no magic jump at 35, " said Dr. Goldberg of San

Francisco Perinatal Associates, a member of the ACOG committee that developed

the guideline. " We've done away with age 35 because the screening tests have

gotten much better. "

It's not just a question of whether to continue the pregnancy. Prenatal

diagnosis also is important for those who wouldn't consider abortion, because

babies with Down syndrome can need specialized care at delivery that affects

hospital selection, he added.

The original age-35 trigger was chosen years ago when doctors had less

information about the risk of Down syndrome, and the only choice for prenatal

detection was an amnio, using a needle to draw fluid from the amniotic sac, he

said. Amnios are highly accurate but were reserved for women at higher risk of

an affected pregnancy because they occasionally cause miscarriage. A study

this fall put the miscarriage risk at one in 1,600 pregnancies, far lower than

previous estimates.

Also today, women have more options. Doctors already frequently offer younger

women blood tests that don't definitively diagnose Down syndrome like an

amnio or a similar invasive test called chorionic villus sampling — but that

can

signal who's at higher risk.

The newest method, topping ACOG's recommendation for everyone, is a

first-trimester screening that combines blood tests with a simple ultrasound

exam,

called a " nuchal translucency test " to measure the thickness of the back of the

fetal neck.

Studies from England, where the nuchal translucency combo has been used for

about a decade, and the U.S. conclude that screening method is more than 80

percent accurate, with a very small risk of falsely indicating Down syndrome in

a healthy fetus. It is performed between 11 and 13 weeks into pregnancy, and

women are usually given numerical odds of carrying an affected fetus.

A woman determined to be high risk then still has time for an invasive test

to tell for sure.

Women who don't seek prenatal care until the second trimester can still

undergo blood tests known as the triple or quadruple screens.

The guideline also says women of any age can choose to skip the screening and

go straight for invasive testing, an approach that might appeal to those

with chromosomal defects in the family.

" This new recommendation makes a lot of sense, " said Dr. Green of the

March of Dimes. " Maternal age no longer plays such an important role because

the screening is better. "

Each test comes with pros and cons, and the new guideline advises doctors to

check what's available in their communities — nuchal translucency testing

isn't easy to get everywhere — and discuss the best options with each patient.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/1/2007 1:18:09 AM Eastern Standard Time,

christina7@... writes:

There is a push for medical perfection that reminds me of the beliefs of

Nazi Germany.

this is exactly what my husband said when he first read the article. We are

no better than Hitler.