PubMed · 11661528
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Arun Sinha. 1977. Compulsory sterilization.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11661528/
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading cause of inherited mental retardation, affecting approximately 50,000 persons in the United States. FXS occurs when a mutation on the X chromosome is passed from mother to child. Preliminary data suggest that children affected by FXS experience a delay in diagnosis, a pattern common to other single-gene disorders. The molecular test used to definitively diagnose FXS became available in 1991. The first indication of FXS within a family is usually the diagnosis of FXS in a child. Although no proven treatments exist for FXS, prompt diagnosis enables children to receive early intervention services and families to receive genetic counseling. To assess the timing of a diagnosis of FXS in an affected child and genetic counseling for the family, the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) conducted a survey during August-October 2001 of 140 parents whose first child affected by FXS was born and had the condition diagnosed during 1990-1999. This report summarizes the results of that survey, which indicate that approximately half of the families did not learn the diagnosis for more than a year after first concerns about their child's development or behavior, and half reported having subsequent pregnancies before FXS was diagnosed in their first child. These findings emphasize the importance of increased opportunities for early diagnosis so children and families can receive all possible benefits, including genetic counseling and intervention services.
The United States' international ranking for infant mortality slipped from 19th in the 1980s to 27th in 1997. This slippage may be related to the segregation of priorities that occurred early in the 1990s, when national concern was diverted from infant mortality to minority health. To rekindle concern about infant mortality to the level of effective action, public health professionals must refocus the public's attention on assuring that all women are provided adequate education and services to help them avoid unintended pregnancies, that all pregnant women receive services in appropriate facilities, and that the causes of preterm deliveries are discovered. Effective action in these areas would not only improve infant mortality overall; it would also reduce racial and ethnic disparities in infant health.
Over the last years the reality surrounding HIV-infection has undergone a considerable change with regard to the life expectancy of patients, and the plans they can make for their lives. Because the majority of the HIV positive population is of reproductive age, one of these plans might be to have children, often as an expression of a fulfilled partnership. The need for medical support to realize this wish, however, is often confronted with ethical, medical or forensic restraints. For this reason, interdisciplinary recommendations have now been developed--for the first time on a global basis--which aim to provide guidelines for practitioners in this complicated area.