Within a decade, parents may be able to find treatment for
their unborn children with Down syndrome. NBC reports that Carol Tamminga and
colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
(UTSW) plan to start in March a study in which unborn children with Down
syndrome will receive Prozac, an anti-depressant, beginning as early as 18
weeks gestation, until they are 2 years old. Studies show mice that would have
been born with cognitive impairment functioned normally when given Prozac.
Those effects continued into adulthood.
While many children have been safely exposed to
antidepressants in the womb, such exposure is not without risk. Investigators
have
reported in JAMA Pediatrics an 87 percent increased risk of developing
autism in children exposed to antidepressants like Prozac. The new study will
attempt to calculate the success rate, effectiveness, and risk of using Prozac
in preborn children.
Tamminga’s told NBC her team considers and discusses with
participants the potential downsides, so they can weigh the risks and benefits.
“So, what if this medication had an effect that really
helped the child move from an IQ of 60 to an IQ of 90? I mean, that would be a
miracle from our point of view,” she said.
For those in the pro-life community, the real miracle will
be if such treatments lead to sparing the lives of unborn children with Down
syndrome.
Paul Watson, motivated by his 14-year-old son Nathan, who
has Down syndrome, spearheaded efforts to raise more than $85,000 for the
three-year trial that begins next month. UTSW has matched the fundraising goal
of $75,000.
Photo Credit: Parent Magzine
Source: Christian Headlines
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