Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing

Mark Leach August 1, 2014

Which is the harder choice after a prenatal diagnosis: continuing or terminating?

A recent news story presents the question all expectant mothers receiving a prenatal test result for Down syndrome will have to answer for themselves: which is the harder choice, continuing the pregnancy or terminating it?

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making, Termination Tagged With: A mother's take, abortion, ethics, informed decision making, Unexpected

Mark Leach July 30, 2014

How a pamphlet did not provide information to expectant mothers

The development and re-development of Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s (GDSF) pamphlet for expectant mothers (which covers prenatal testing options and the basics about Down syndrome) has deprived women of professionally recommended information about Down syndrome for years.

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making, NIPT Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, GDSF, NDSC, NIPS, prenatal testing, Sequenom

Mark Leach July 25, 2014

Pennsylvania passes the Down Syndrome Information Act

In 2014, Pennsylvania joined the growing number of states passing the Down Syndrome Information Act. It’s implementation needs to be improved.

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: prenatal testing, Regulations, Stigmatization

Mark Leach July 24, 2014

A pamphlet supposed to be for post-diagnosis must discuss prenatal testing?

At least that’s what it’s creator says.

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, ethics, GDSF, NDSC, prenatal testing

Mark Leach July 22, 2014

NDSC, GDSF, prenatal testing, and abortion

The previous post dealt with three of the four reasons given for creating the NDSC/GDSF pamphlet. But it was the fourth reason that got all the attention when the pamphlet launched in November 2012: abortion.

Filed Under: Termination Tagged With: abortion, Down syndrome resources, GDSF, NDSC, prenatal testing

Mark Leach July 17, 2014

The 2014 NDSC Convention: prenatal testing for Down syndrome resources

At the 2014 National Down Syndrome Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, David Tolleson, NDSC’s executive director, and Michelle Whitten of Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF) presented on their organizations’ updated prenatal testing pamphlet. Here are some observations from that presentation.

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, NDSC, prenatal testing

Mark Leach July 14, 2014

The 2014 NDSC Convention: reuniting & making new friends

The National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Convention just concluded this weekend. It was a very cool experience giving and attending presentations and reuniting with and making new friends.

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: A mother's take, Down syndrome resources, NDSC, Unexpected

Mark Leach July 10, 2014