I just read a stat on the web that states that 51% of Downs babies are born to women under 30 and 72% to women under 35.
I have no idea where you read that statistic, but I had genetic counseling when I was pregnant with my second daughter. The geneticist showed me the odds of having a child with Downs Syndrome. With each passing year, the chances increased greatly.
Frequency of Down Syndrome Per Maternal Age Anyway, I think that Obama had the right attitude, self-serving though it might have been. Private lives should be private,
especially when it comes to the children of candidates.
That is true. The chances of having a Downs child are greater for a woman over 40. I don't doubt that 72% of the Downs babies come from mothers 35 and younger, but probably 95% + of pregnancies are from women under 35.
It is ironic that the present VP had it reported that his daughter is a lesbian. I had no problem with the coverage of the story because she was an adult, who was open and public about it and her support for gay rights. Also, for better or worse, children of our top executives have been a matter of public interest.
I wish this young lady the best. It's tough enough to be pregnant at 17, but to be so in the glare of the national media is a nightmare, and she has my sympathy. I also applaud her decision to give this child life.
