Original articleIs Down Syndrome a Disappearing Birth Defect?
Section snippets
Databases
Two statewide data collections were used to ascertain all cases of DS in Victoria for the years 1986 to 2004. Access to these data was formally granted by the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity of Victoria.
The Births Defects Register (BDR) is a statewide population-based surveillance system administered by the Perinatal Data Collection Unit (PDCU) of the Victoria Department of Human Services. Notifications to the BDR come from multiple sources on all birth
Results
Figure 1 shows that against a relatively stable birth rate in Victoria, particularly since 1996, the total number of cases of DS increased from 113 in 1986 to a peak of 192 in 2002. Since 1996, the number of live births has generally been lower and the numbers of pregnancy termination pregnancy higher than in the earlier period.
Among the total cases of DS, the vast majority (97%) were trisomy 21. Over the 19-year study period, there were 72 cases of translocation DS, 85% of which occurred in
Discussion
This comprehensive analysis of the epidemiology of DS provides essential information for various stakeholders. The data can be used by policy makers and service providers to assess current programs and prioritize resources for the provision of prenatal testing programs. Importantly, the data highlight the ongoing need for support services for people with DS and their families. In addition, accurate current information is vital for consumer and support groups, such as the Down Syndrome
References (30)
- et al.
Prenatal diagnostic testing and Down syndrome in Victoria 1992-2002
Aust N Z J Public Health
(2004) - et al.
Births in Victoria 2003-2004
(2005) - et al.
The impact of antenatal screening for Down syndrome in Western Australia, 1980-1994
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol
(1996) - et al.
The impact of maternal serum screening on the birth prevalence of Down’s syndrome and the use of amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling in South Australia
Br J Obstet Gynaecol
(2000) - et al.
A population-based evaluation of the impact of antenatal screening for Down’s syndrome in France, 1981-2000
Br J Obstet Gynaecol
(2004) - et al.
Prevalence of Down syndrome in Glasgow, 1980-96: the growing impact of prenatal diagnosis on younger mothers
Health Bull (Edinb)
(2002) - et al.
Recent trends in the prevalence of Down syndrome in Japan, 1980-1997
Am J Med Genet
(1999) - et al.
Down’s syndrome: the effects of prenatal diagnosis and demographic factors in a region of the eastern part of Germany
Eur J Epidemiol
(2000) - et al.
Trends and geographic inequalities in the prevalence of Down syndrome in Europe 1980-1999
Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique
(2005) - et al.
Changes in maternal age in England and Wales: implications for Down syndrome
Downs Syndr Res Pract
(2006)
Down’s syndrome: occurrence and outcome in the north of England, 1985-99
Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol
Trends in live birth prevalence of Down syndrome in the Northern Netherlands 1987-96: the impact of screening and prenatal diagnosis
Prenat Diagn
Impact of prenatal diagnosis on the prevalence of live births with Down syndrome in the eastern half of Switzerland, 1980-1996
Swiss Med Wkly
Major decrease in the incidence of trisomy 21 at birth in south Belgium: mass impact of triple test?
Eur J Hum Genet
Trends in prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and other autosomal trisomies in Scotland 1990 to 1994, with associated cytogenetic and epidemiological findings
Genet Epidemiol
Cited by (64)
Down syndrome: An integrative review
2018, Journal of Neonatal NursingCitation Excerpt :The only other identified risk factor is heredity, although this is extremely rare, and only affects approximately 1% of all cases of Down syndrome (Perkins, 2017). Although mothers of all ages can deliver a baby with Down syndrome, there is a worldwide shift among developed nations, in the age distribution of women giving birth, with the proportion of women over age 35 years increasing quite markedly (Collins et al., 2008; Loane et al., 2013). This means that there are more babies born with Down syndrome.
Parental experiences after prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormality
2018, Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal MedicineTen-year trends in prevalence of Down syndrome in a developing country: impact of the maternal age and prenatal screening
2016, European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive BiologyCitation Excerpt :Even though the total T21 numbers have been declining over the 10-year period, the total incidence has stayed the same because the number of live born babies has decreased. Our findings are consistent with other studies reporting no increasing trends over time in LB prevalence of T21 [14,15,17], whereas total T21 prevalence has been increasing [9,16,18,20]. In our study, the proportion of T21 pregnancies to older mothers (>35 years of age) was >1.5 times higher than in mothers younger than 35 years.
A cross-syndrome evaluation of a new attention rating scale: The Scale of Attention in intellectual Disability
2016, Research in Developmental DisabilitiesThe impact of financing of screening tests on utilization and outcomes: The case of amniocentesis
2016, Journal of Health EconomicsCitation Excerpt :In recent decades, the incidence of DS pregnancies has been on the rise in various parts of the world due to an upward shift in the age distribution of pregnancies. This trend is somewhat offset by the availability of screening tests such as amniocentesis and CVS (see Loane et al. (2013) and references thereof and Collins et al. (2008)). Additionally, the prevalence of DS live births is characterized by very large disparities.
Down Syndrome Increases the Risk of Short-Term Complications After Total Hip Arthroplasty
2016, Journal of Arthroplasty
Supported by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellowship 436904 (to J.H.).