Archive for March, 2018

Denver’s Global Down Syndrome Foundation pulled into abortion debate

March 6th, 2018 by Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Global interview emphasizes increased lifespan and the urgent need for NIH funding

March 5th, 2018 by Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Babies with Down syndrome are put on center stage in the U.S. abortion fight

March 5th, 2018 by Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Babies with Down syndrome take center stage in the US abortion fight

March 5th, 2018 by Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Washington Post

Amid this debate, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Whitten said it is important to separate facts from myths about the condition. . . 
 
But today, thanks to medical advances and better integration into society, many individuals with Down syndrome live long, productive and happy lives. The average life span among people with Down syndrome has more than doubled from 25 years in 1983 to about 60 years, Whitten said. And while most have a mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment, there is wide variation in their abilities, and more and more are living independently, going to college, holding challenging jobs and getting married. . . 
 
Whitten said that one of the biggest challenges people with the condition face is a precipitous drop in research funding over the years from the National Institutes of Health, a decline that, she said, makes Down syndrome the most poorly funded major genetic condition in the United States. . .