‘Down Syndrome can be managed’

Need for risk stratification in expectant women for screening urged

MULTAN: One in 800 newborns suffer from Down Syndrome, Imran Iqbal of Children’s Complex said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a seminar organised at Nishtar Hospital and Medical College in connection with World Down Syndrome Day. Iqbal informed those present on the occasion about the burden of disease in the developing world. He said over ninety per cent of Down Syndrome cases could be attributed to chromosomal nondisjunction, five to translocation and three to mosaicism.

Asghar Javaid of Nishtar Hospital and Medical College spoke about screening expectant women to detect Down Syndrome among fetuses. He said it was possible to do this due to advancements in medicine. Javaid said medical procedures used on this front included amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and nuchal translucency. He said scientists had recently separated foetal cell-free DNA in maternal blood during the early stages of pregnancy. Javaid said this carried no risk of induced abortion in contrast to amniocentesis and CVS.

Ghulam Mustafa of Nishtar Hospital and Medical Centre spoke about ways of managing the disorder in the long run. He said people with Down Syndrome could be easily diagnosed as they had uniform symptoms. Mustafa said there was no cure for the disorder but those suffering from it could be managed symptomatically.

National Hospital and Medical College Principal Kamran Salik spoke about the importance of observing the day.  He appreciated steps taken to raise awareness among the people regarding the disorder.

Multan Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy (MINAR) Director Durr-i-Sabih gave the concluding address. He emphasised the need for risk stratification in expectant women for screening.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2015.