A new study co-authored by Simpson College associate professor of mathematics Heidi Berger found that one in five individuals with Down Syndrome have to travel more than two hours to receive care at the nearest specialty clinic. Berger tells KNIA News what is not widely known is that those diagnosed with Down Syndrome often have other health concerns such as congenital heart defects, an increased risk of upper respiratory infections, and may be more prone to other diseases such as Leukemia, so specialized care clinics are a need for parents of children with Down Syndrome.

“These are places where you can come together to talk to physical therapists, feeding therapists, social workers to help with some of the developmental/intellectual delays and school age things. But you can also talk to doctors who can make recommendations on cardiology screenings, being evaluated for a sleep study, so they can be aware of guidelines for managing medical care, and then make recommendations to the primary care physicians.”

To learn more about the study, go to this story on KNIAKRLS.com to tune in to an In-Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard.