You are vital to us at DSSGC in spreading the positive message about giving birth and raising a child with Down syndrome. DSSGC is committed to education and advocacy. We believe that people with Down syndrome are extremely valuable and important to families, communities, and society.
One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome, making Down syndrome the most common genetic condition. Approximately 400,000 Americans have Down syndrome and about 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States each year. DSSGC wants every new parent and family of a baby born with Down syndrome to receive accurate and positive information and contacts that will provide an immediate support system for them.
About 92% of pregnancies in Europe with a diagnosis of Down syndrome are terminated. In the United States, termination rates are around 67%, but this varies significantly depending upon the population evaluated. When nonpregnant people are asked if they would have a termination if their fetus tested positive, 23–33% said yes, when high-risk pregnant women were asked, 46–86% said yes, and when women who screened positive are asked, 89–97% say yes. These statistics are alarming to us at DSSGC. We want expectant parents to have the information and resources that accurately convey the positive aspects of having a child with Down syndrome. At DSSGC, we have been touched personally in our families and in our relationships to a person with Down syndrome. We know of their worth! We know how much joy, love, and happiness we have received from our decision to keep and raise a child with Down syndrome. We rejoice in the birth of a baby with Down syndrome and we mourn when a pregnancy is terminated.
We ask you to please assist us in our New Parents and Expectant Parent Outreach Program! We have put together packets for you to give to new or expectant parents of a child with Down syndrome. In these we have included:
Please contact Kerry Aronsohn, Outreach Committee Chair at 509-855-2152 to get a packet.
