Previous posts questioning the efforts to "cure" Down syndrome begin here and here. Peter Elliott, Research Director for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation UK, writes:
In today's world, the parents of children with Down syndrome can raise their hopes and change the future for their child. Surgeons can repair a malformed heart and this is very common in Down syndrome.  Internal organs can be repaired, including Hersprungs where the baby can die within days of being born.   Then there is the very high risk of Leukemia, Celiac disease, and there is an impaired immune system which makes survival difficult for a host of illnesses.  All of these can be treated with modern medicine and the children survive.  Most will call these cures. The last challenge is the mental handicap caused by a disturbance to the brain chemistry.   We now know there is this chemical imbalance which not only effects and impairs short term memory it also prevents the fast processing of information and the formation and accessing of long term memory.
Full post after the jump.