health

It is possible that the increasing numbers of women having children in
their thirties or forties will lead to an increase in the number of children
born with Down syndrome. However, as of the early 2000s, about
90 percent of women whose fetuses were diagnosed with the syndrome
chose to end their pregnancies before childbirth. There has been growing
concern as to whether such women are being pressured to make this
choice. Parents have formed advocacy groups to defend their choice to
have their children in spite of the prenatal diagnosis, and disability rights
groups have also spoken on their behalf. The first World Down Syndrome
Day was held in Singapore in 2006 to raise awareness of the many positive
contributions of people with trisomy 21. Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican
Vice Presidential candidate, has a son with Down syndrome and raised
awareness about children with special needs during her campaign.