Around 1 in every 1,000 babies is born with Down Syndrome in the UK. The figure would be higher if it weren't for 90% of Down syndrome pregnancies being terminated.

Across the UK, mothers that take screenings that reveal their child has Down Syndrome are pressured to abort the fetus by doctors and midwives. These people stress the low life expectancies and the stunted intellectual growth as reasons for not keeping the baby, but most importantly, how 'difficult' it would be to look after the baby because of these things. 

As a matter of fact, people with Down Syndrome live happy, healthy and full lives, and engage in a wide variety of interests and hobbies. Their disorder is a small hindrance to the happy lives they live. Just like those without the syndrome, they can form strong bonds with family and friends. Only focusing on the negative aspects of the syndrome is what spreads the idea that Down Syndrome is a bad thing. Additionally, disproportionally focusing on how hard it would be to look after a baby with Down Syndrome is selfish, to say the least. Raising a child with Down's is more about the child the the parent, and the child will face far more adversity than the parent as they grow up.

The fears of having a child with Down syndrome have led to the vast majority of Down syndrome pregnancies being terminated not just in the UK, but other countries also. Sadly, Iceland has an 100% termination rate of Down syndrome pregnancies. The high rate of these terminations, along with more accurate prenatal scannings, may lead to less people being born with Down's, meaning there's a possibility for it to no longer be present in the world. This is a shame because it is entirely possible to live a full life and have Down Syndrome too. It is not a deadly and degrading disease that should be avoided at at all costs. What we need is the people with Down's explaining the risks and benefits of the syndrome, not biased medical professionals with only negative things to say about it.