Abortion in women with Down syndrome

Background Nearly two-thirds of pregnancies in women with Down syndrome (DS) end in abortion. The aim of the present study was to determine if these high abortion rates might relate to specific characteristics of women with DS, their life situation and the course of pregnancy. Methods In a sample of 351 pregnancies in Switzerland (1998 to 2009), women with DS were compared with women with other forms of intellectual disability (ID) and women without ID, regarding the type of abortion, personal characteristics and pregnancy complications that might increase the probability of abortion. Results All abortions among women with DS were medically induced. In women with DS and ID, abortions were more likely to occur due to unwanted pregnancy than in women without ID. In addition, women with DS and ID were more often diagnosed with fetal complications and maternal health problems. However, no correlation between fetal complications or maternal health problems and pregnancy outcome was found. Conclusions The group differences found do not directly explain the high abortion rates among women with DS. Maternal diagnosis of DS appears to be the most important predictor of abortion. Possible explanations for this finding are discussed.