National Down Syndrome Society Responds to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ New Recommendations for Prenatal Testing
NEW YORK, February 14, 2007 – The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), a nonprofit organization with more than 200 affiliates nationwide representing the more than 350,000 Americans with Down syndrome and their families, issued a resolution today in response to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) recent recommendations that all pregnant women, regardless of their age, should be offered screening for Down syndrome. The resolution includes two call-to-action points:
- Challenging and strongly encouraging health care professionals and organizations like ACOG to partner with NDSS and other Down syndrome organizations to ensure the wide-spread proliferation of balanced, accurate and up-to-date information to expectant parents; and
- Urging health care professionals, policymakers, and the Down syndrome community to work together to ensure that expectant parents are not unduly influenced to undergo prenatal testing or to terminate a pregnancy after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
“At NDSS, we have always had strong, collaborative relationships with health care professionals, particularly through our advisory boards and our program Changing Lives: Down Syndrome and the Health Care Professional,” said Pam van der Lee, Chair of the NDSS Board of Directors. “In cooperation with other Down syndrome organizations, we hope to expand and enhance these partnerships going forward, while continuing to be a voice and advocate for the Down syndrome community.” Other Down syndrome organizations in the U.S. and internationally have issued statements in recent weeks about the ACOG recommendations. NDSS is committed to working with these groups to express our collective concerns about the new guidelines and address these pressing issues facing the Down syndrome community. Following is the full text of the NDSS resolution on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendations regarding prenatal testing for Down syndrome:
1. Whereas, The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the nation’s largest organization devoted to helping people with Down syndrome and their families,
2. Whereas, NDSS strives to assist people with Down syndrome and their families through national leadership in education, research and advocacy,
3. Whereas, the NDSS and its members value the lives and contribution of people with Down syndrome, as well as all people with disabilities, and affirms a vision of a diverse and inclusive society in which human rights are respected and differences are celebrated,
4. Whereas, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recently recommended that all pregnant women be offered prenatal screening for Down syndrome,
5. Whereas studies have shown that the information given pregnant women about Down syndrome is frequently incomplete, and often neglects to recognize the rich and fulfilling lives that are possible for people with disabilities,
6. Whereas the Board of the National Down Syndrome Society challenges and strongly encourages health care professionals and organizations like ACOG to partner with NDSS and other Down syndrome organizations to ensure the wide-spread proliferation of balanced, accurate and up-to-date information to expectant parents,
7. Whereas a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome does not mean that the fetus should be terminated,
8. Be it resolved, therefore, that the Board of the National Down Syndrome Society urges health care professionals, policymakers, and the Down syndrome community to work together to ensure that expectant parents are not unduly influenced to undergo prenatal testing or to terminate a pregnancy after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
(C) 2007 National Down Syndrome Society
