From the Washington Post, a letter to the editor responding to my recent op-ed:

In her Nov. 16 op-ed, “If the Test Says Down Syndrome,” Patricia E. Bauer made some important points about the information that doctors should be prepared to share when counseling couples about prenatal screening and the possibility of having a baby with Down syndrome or some other genetic difference.

One area Ms. Bauer did not mention was adoption. Even as the demand for “healthy” infants available for adoption grows, many mothers (and maybe their doctors as well) who believe their babies will be born with Down syndrome think that no one would want to adopt such infants and that the only outcomes of birth involve caring for the children themselves or consigning them to life in institutions.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Many prospective adoptive parents — my wife and I are ourselves adoptive parents of a child with Down syndrome — have taken to heart the message reiterated by Ms. Bauer, that people with Down syndrome “are valued family members who lead happy, fulfilling lives.” There are plenty of prospective parents who would be willing to consider an infant with Down syndrome. Along with the many useful suggestions that Ms. Bauer made, the possibility of having the baby adopted by a loving family should be considered.

PERRY COCKE

Baltimore

For more information on this topic, see: “Characteristics and perspectives of families waiting to adopt a child with Down syndrome,” by Heidi L. Lindh, Robin Steele, Jane Page-Steiner, and Alan E. Donnenfeld, in the April, 2007, issue of the journal Genetics in Medicine. Their conclusions:

Many families are eager to adopt children with Down syndrome. Interest in this option stems from having resources to care for these children and previous positive experiences with individuals with Down syndrome. Information regarding adoption was rarely obtained from health care providers. When counseling pregnant women diagnosed with a Down syndrome fetus, adoption should be discussed so that all options regarding pregnancy management may be explored.

From the Montgomery, Alabama, Advertiser.

“I really want people to know that they don’t have to be afraid of the unknown,” Rita Andrews said. “We didn’t know anything about Down syndrome and it was a little nervous for us at the beginning, but we’ve been so thankful that we made the decision to adopt a special needs child … life with them is always a joy and adventure.”