For Medical Professionals
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about how to support a family who has received a diagnosis of Down syndrome. We have put together some resources that we hope will help you, and provide additional support to your family.
Delivering a Prenatal or Postnatal Diagnosis will be difficult for you to give to a family. No one wants to hear their child will have a medical or developmental issue. Receiving the diagnosis will be a life-changing moment for your family. They will remember the time and day, and the exact words you said to them. They will remember this moment as a “Flashbulb Memory”, which is a vivid snapshot of you giving them the diagnosis. This memory will stay with them the rest of their lives.
Please view this video that talks about how a diagnosis can go well:
Lettercase created a page for medical professionals to help them give that diagnosis in the most clear, concise, respectful and positive way. Please review that information here.
You can also purchase the Lettercase brochure, "Delivering a Down Syndrome Diagnosis" here.
The Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network provides wonderful resources at no cost to medical professionals who serve prenatal families.
Having updated, correct, positive resources for the family at the time of delivering the diagnosis will help the family tremendously, when they are ready to review materials. Many families tell us they were told of the diagnosis and were given no information. That time between receiving the diagnosis and having to go to the internet for information was very stressful. May we suggest you have the following information on hand when presenting a diagnosis:
We created a booklet for you to give to families who have a prenatal diagnosis titled, "A Loving Choice: Adoption as an Option". You can view the booklet here, and we would be happy to send you hard copies of our booklet as well, at no cost to you. Send us an email here: stephanie@ndsan.org
Contact your local Down syndrome parent group and request a handful of Expectant Parent Packets or Medical Outreach Packets to have on hand. You can find a list of your local parent groups here.
If your local parent group has no packets, here is a list of materials to have on hand, to give to your families:
Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis
Diagnosis to Delivery: A Pregnant Mother’s Guide to Down Syndrome
The Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome
Brochures from your local parent group
If you will delivering a prenatal diagnosis, please include our booklet, if you feel the family would want to make an adoption plan. Please contact us and we would be happy to send you brochures at no charge.
Thank you for supporting your families at this time. If you need any additional information, please contact us via email here, or call us at 513-709-1751.
