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The physician and Down syndrome: are attitudes changing?
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Physicians show significantly improved attitudes toward treating children with Down syndrome, favoring active intervention over institutionalization. Older physicians, however, remain less supportive, highlighting the need for continued medical education on developmental disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Medical ethics
- Pediatric medicine
- Developmental disabilities
Background:
- Physician attitudes towards Down syndrome have evolved.
- Previous studies in 1975 provide a baseline for comparison.
- Societal and medical understanding of Down syndrome has advanced.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare contemporary pediatrician, child neurologist, and pediatric surgeon attitudes toward Down syndrome with a 1975 study.
- To identify factors influencing current physician attitudes.
- To assess the impact of advocacy and research on medical perspectives.
Main Methods:
- Comparative survey analysis of physician attitudes.
- Review of historical data from a 1975 study.
- Analysis of physician demographics, particularly age, in relation to attitudes.
Main Results:
- Contemporary physicians are more aggressive in treating associated anomalies in Down syndrome.
- Most physicians now support community living (group homes) instead of institutionalization.
- Physician age is the most significant factor; older physicians exhibit less supportive attitudes.
Conclusions:
- Positive shifts in physician attitudes are attributed to advocacy groups, legal decisions, and improved understanding of Down syndrome.
- Ongoing education in developmental disabilities and bioethics is crucial for medical professionals.
- Promoting informed advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome requires continuous learning and updated perspectives.
Abstract:
A survey of attitudes of pediatricians, child neurologists, and pediatric surgeons toward Down syndrome is compared with a similar study reported in 1975. A contemporary physician would be much more aggressive in treating a child with Down syndrome who has associated anomalies such as duodenal atresia or congenital heart disease. Few would recommend institutionalization of a person with Down syndrome; the majority expect that such individuals could productively spend their adult lives in group homes. Positive changes in physicians' attitudes during the past 15 years have been influenced by parent advocacy groups, court decisions, and studies showing that the ultimate intellectual and social skills of Down syndrome children are greater than was previously believed. The most prominent variable associated with attitudes was the physician's age: the older the physician, the more likely he or she would be nonsupportive of active treatment on behalf of the Down syndrome individual. These findings suggest that ongoing education of medical students and pediatric residents in the field of developmental disabilities and bioethics is required in order to promote well-informed advocacy for the mentally handicapped.
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