sodium-ethylxanthate and Down-Syndrome

Second-trimester serum inhibin-A is increasingly used as a fourth marker in addition to the triple test to screen for Down syndrome. We investigated whether fetal gender had an effect on serum inhibin-A concentration. A retrospective analysis was done on 316 normal pregnancies and 48 Down syndrome pregnancies in which maternal serum inhibin-A assays were performed between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation and in which the fetal sex was known. The median inhibin-A MoM (95% CI) for normal pregnancies in the presence of a male fetus was 0.93 (range 0.88-1.03). This was significantly lower than that in the presence of a female fetus (median MoM=1.04). The gender difference was not observed in the Down syndrome pregnancies. The increased inhibin-A concentration would lead to a 2.3-fold higher false-positive rate in the presence of a female fetus (10.6% vs. 4.6%; p<0.05, Chi-square test). Because of the small number of cases studied, the results need to be substantiated by a larger series. If the gender effect is confirmed, adjustment for fetal sex may be necessary when inhibin-A is used as a screening marker.

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Down Syndrome; False Positive Reactions; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Inhibins; Male; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies; Sex

Because of the departure of the mentally retarded from cloistered institutions and their placement in community living arrangements, community mental health professionals are being called on more than ever to help the retarded and their parents deal responsibly with issues of sexuality. The mental health professional who would counsel the retarded must first develop and appreciation of the unique medical and social issues that can affect the sexual expression of the retarded. These issues include sexual maturation, reproductive ability, contraception, sterilization, abortion, and sex education. The author, through a review of the literature, discuss these issues and offers guidance to counselors struggling with the difficult decisions concerning sexual expression among the mentally retarded.

Topics: Abortion, Induced; Community Mental Health Services; Contraception; Down Syndrome; Female; Fertility; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Pregnancy; Professional Practice; Sex; Sex Education; Sexual Maturation; Sterilization, Reproductive

Topics: Coronary Disease; Diseases in Twins; Down Syndrome; Environment; Female; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Humans; Hypertrophy; Male; Models, Genetic; Neural Tube Defects; Pregnancy; Pyloric Stenosis; Random Allocation; Schizophrenia; Sex; Twins, Dizygotic; Twins, Monozygotic

Topics: Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Male; Maternal Age; Sex; Sex Factors

Topics: Abnormalities, Multiple; Anencephaly; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Congenital Abnormalities; Diseases in Twins; Down Syndrome; Female; Foot Deformities, Congenital; Hand Deformities, Congenital; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Male; Sex; Spinal Dysraphism

Topics: Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosomes, Human, 21-22 and Y; Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Karyotyping; Male; Phenotype; Sex; Statistics as Topic

Topics: Animals; Consanguinity; Down Syndrome; Humans; Megacolon; Mice; Sex

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aging; Child; Child, Preschool; Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Scotland; Sex

Topics: Abnormalities, Severe Teratoid; Adult; Bone and Bones; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Congenital Abnormalities; Cryptorchidism; Down Syndrome; Ethnology; Female; Genitalia; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Israel; Jews; Male; Maternal Age; Middle Aged; Parity; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Multiple; Seasons; Sex; Spinal Dysraphism

Topics: Adolescent; Anthropometry; Child; Child, Preschool; Down Syndrome; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Growth; Humans; Infant; Male; Sex

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Amino Acids; Aminoisobutyric Acids; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Creatine; Diet Therapy; Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Infant; Karyotyping; Male; Middle Aged; Prednisone; Pyridoxine; Sex; Sulfisoxazole; Taurine

Topics: Birth Weight; Congenital Abnormalities; Dermatoglyphics; Down Syndrome; Female; Fetal Death; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Maternal Age; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Sex

Topics: Asian People; Down Syndrome; Genetics, Medical; Humans; Sex; Statistics as Topic

Topics: Aging; Down Syndrome; Female; Genetics, Medical; Humans; Maternal Age; Models, Theoretical; Mutation; Pregnancy; Schizophrenia; Sex

Topics: Adult; Birth Order; Down Syndrome; Female; Finland; Humans; Male; Maternal Age; Pregnancy; Sex; Statistics as Topic

Topics: Aging; Body Height; Body Weight; Child; Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Sex; Voice

Topics: Birth Order; Diseases in Twins; Down Syndrome; Female; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Infant, Newborn; Male; Sex; Vital Statistics

Topics: Adolescent; Aging; Bone and Bones; Bone Development; Child; Down Syndrome; Growth; Hand; Humans; Puberty; Radiography; Sex; Sexual Maturation; Wrist; Wrist Joint

Topics: Anxiety; Bipolar Disorder; Depression; Down Syndrome; England; Family Practice; General Practice; Geriatrics; Health Surveys; Home Nursing; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Mental Disorders; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Scotland; Sex; Statistics as Topic; Substance-Related Disorders; Tranquilizing Agents

Topics: Asian People; Biometry; Birth Order; Down Syndrome; Genetics, Medical; Humans; Mothers; Sex; Statistics as Topic