Advances in Medical Technology and Creation of Disparities

The Case of Down Syndrome

Bibliographic Data

ID11031359
AuthorsBabak Khoshnood (0000-0002-4031-4915, The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.), Catherine De Vigan (The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.), Véronique Vodovar (The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.), Gérard Breart (0000-0003-3142-9128, The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.), François Goffinet (0000-0001-9643-0299, The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.), Béatrice Blondel (0000-0002-9367-8317, The authors are with the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal and Women’s Health, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.)
Year2006
Volume96
Issue12
Pages2139-2144
Publication date2006-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2005.069377
PMID17077393
PMCIDPMC1698165
OpenAlexW2125451520
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited43

Objectives. We assessed socioeconomic differences in probabilities of prena-tal diagnoses of Down syndrome and continuation of pregnancies after such diagnoses, along with the effects of these differences on disparities in live-birth prevalences of Down syndrome. Methods. Using population-based data derived from 1433 cases of Down syndrome and 3731 control births, we assessed age-adjusted effects of maternal occupation and geographic origin on prenatal diagnoses, as well as overall and live-birth odds, of Down syndrome. Results. Maternal occupation and geographic origin had significant effects on the probability of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and on continuation of pregnancy after such a diagnosis. Women in lower-status occupational categories had higher odds of delivering a live-born infant with Down syndrome. In comparison with women in the highest-status occupational category, the age-adjusted odds ratio for a Down syndrome live birth among women without an occupation was 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7, 3.3). By contrast, there were no disparities in age-adjusted overall likelihood of Down syndrome. Conclusions. Socioeconomic differences in use of prenatal testing have created disparities in the live-birth prevalence of Down syndrome. Overall Down syndrome risk does not vary according to socioeconomic status

Confidence interval · Down syndrome · Environmental health · Live birth · Logistic regression · Odds · Odds ratio · Population · Pregnancy · Psychiatry · Socioeconomic status · Demography · Disability Rights and Representation · Down syndrome and intellectual disability research · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics · Pediatrics