Down syndrome research and its future agenda for Canada

Scientific developments in the 20th century have empowered Canadian parents with greater control over not only how many but also what kind of children are or are not born. In 2007 the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) published recommendations that non-invasive prenatal screening for Down syndrome be offered to all pregnant women. Recently, a more accurate, earlier, DNA-based blood test of pregnant women-capable of determining if a conceptus is at very high risk for Down syndrome (and other chromosomal conditions)-is being introduced in the US. While studies show that approximately 65-70% of pregnant women in North America who are offered prenatal testing for chromosomal anomalies (such as Down syndrome) go on to accept it, experts predict that an even greater proportion will do so with the introduction of this new testing method. Public perceptions of the health and social challenges associated with Down syndrome are propelled by an amalgam of forces that precede and follow prospective parents into the clinic. Questions remain as to what we actually know (rather than just believe) and what there is yet to establish about this condition against which so much public effort is being directed, mostly in the form of preventative medicine. The SOGC states that "screening for a disorder should be undertaken only when the disorder is considered to be serious enough to warrant intervention". Whether Down syndrome qualifies as a serious genetic condition and if it does, what makes it "serious" and for whom, are matters over which biomedical, clinical, social science and health systems researchers have various answers and ways of answering. Come to a CIHR Café Scientifique to find out how various health experts explain the challenges faced by persons living with Down syndrome. Enjoy complimentary coffee and refreshments and join the discussion of where we are now, and where we should be going in the future, with Down syndrome research in Canada.