Expert: Pat G - 10/24/2011

Question
I have an abortion in December 2010 and January 2011. I'm not pride of it and it rip me apart mentally so I got pregnant in April 2011.. Now my ultra sound show a bright spot on the baby's heart it's on both side right and left.. I'm 26yrs old and after research and talking to my OBGY I found out that it could be down syndrome.. My question is: could this be a result for my abortions?

Answer
Hello, Annie,

Down Syndrome is not caused by abortion as far as I know. It is a result of one chromosome duplicating itself, so that the person has three chromosomes instead of two. The chromosome is numbered 21 in a sequence of 23 pairs. That's why it is called Trisomy 21. Some people with DS also have what is known as mosaicism. This is when some of their cells have trisomy and some don't. (This is something like the trait that produces the color pattern of a calico cat.) They tend to be more "normal" in every way. But the primary difference between a person with DS and one without is really a matter of attitude. People with DS are very laid back. They aren't curious as infants, so there isn't the usual feedback where mothers respond to their babies who respond back. This leads some people to think they are mentally retarded. That's not really the issue. The issue is they don't care. But they can be taught to be curious, and to want to learn.

Don't be afraid of Down Syndrome. I have a nephew with Down Syndrome, and he is a precious human being whom I love very much. The blessings such a person can bring into your life are incalculable. Raising a child with Down Syndrome requires extra effort, and there are resources available. Look at Early Intervention. Most of these resources don't talk about how you can help a person with DS have a good brain, but the truth is, it's not an absolute sentence to mental retardation. Some are very bright. My nephew is an example. He had the language development of a 5 year old at the age of 3 1/2. He retains that extraordinary ability. If you feel unable to raise a child with DS, there are many waiting families who would like to adopt him or her.

Ultrasounds can also be dead wrong. There is no way of knowing what the bright spot means. It might not even be accurate.

If you should happen to have a baby with DS, and would like to parent him, I can point you to resources, and I can make a number of recommendations that will help considerably.

See if you can find online videos of Chris Burke, who starred in the TV series Life Goes On. He is very, very bright. His political outlook and such are somewhat different from the rest of us, but clearly, he is intelligent. If you can't find videos, there will be articles and interviews. When he is interviewed, he is quite impressive. I know of another young man who is incredibly talented, though I can't put my finger on the web site anymore. He plays several instruments, and has multiple other talents. There is a web site dedicated to showing that DS folks can be intelligent. Here is the link: http://www.veras.org.br/default-en.asp . Here is the book Dr. Veras wrote. It is a wonderful book: http://www.amazon.com/Children-dreams-children-Raymundo-Veras/dp/tags-on-product .

There is also a written piece on the internet about planning to go to Italy and winding up in Holland. The gist of it is that it's a different place, but equally charming in its own way.

People with DS cause us to grow in compassion, and to grow spiritually. They have unconditional love. Sure, as children, they can get into mischief like any other child. Good discipline is very helpful. But if I had a choice between a child with DS, and one I knew had absolutely no conscious but was intellectually brilliant, I'd choose the child with DS any day.

I hope your baby is free of the trait, but please protect him or her. This is a precious child regardless of whether he or she has DS or not, and like I said, you have decent options. Since you already know how abortion rips your very soul, it shouldn't be an option. I will be here for you. If you find out your baby has DS, I will help you all I can. Please protect yourself and your baby. Stay safe!