Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's no way to prevent Down syndrome. However, if you're at high risk of having a child with Down syndrome or you already have one child with Down syndrome, you may wish to consult a genetic counselor before becoming pregnant.
A genetic counselor can help you understand your chances of having a child with Down syndrome. He or she can also explain the prenatal tests that are available and help you figure out the pros and cons of testing.
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- What causes Down syndrome? National Down Syndrome Society. http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=23&id=60&Itemid=234. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Genetic conditions: Down syndrome. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=downsyndrome. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- ACOG practice bulletin no. 77: Screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;109:217.
- Birth defects: Down syndrome. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/DownSyndrome.htm. Accessed Feb. 15, 2011.
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- Birth defects. In: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Your Pregnancy and Childbirth Month to Month. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; 2010:343.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 15, 2011.
- Chiu RWK, et al. Non-invasive prenatal assessment of trisomy 21 by multiplexed maternal plasma DNA sequencing: Large scale validity study. British Medical Journal. 2011;342:7401.


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