A geneticist of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) warned the public on the continuous increase in down syndrome cases that tend to affect the growth of children.
BGHMC geneticist Dr. Mary Erika Orteza said that there is an indication of increasing down syndrome cases coming from Benguet and nearby areas primarily because of the abnormal chromosomes of their parents.
However, she claimed that if the anomalies are detected early through ultrasound, parents will be guided on how to care for the child while his or her behavioral problems can be corrected.
The BGHMC geneticist said that the number of parents seeking consultation from the government facility in relation to the perceived congenital anomalies of their children are increasing which indicates the awareness of the people on the existence of experts to provide them with the appropriate advise on how to care and manage their children with special needs.
Orteza called on pregnant mothers to have their child subjected to ultrasound at the early stages of their pregnancy so that whatever anomalies of the child will be detected and for them to be provided with the necessary guidance on how to care for their upcoming child and what to expect.
Orteza is one of the few geneticists that is based on a tertiary government health facility to provide expert advice on how to deal with children with special needs and how to detect the anomalies in children at the early stages.
According to her, not all children with special needs are qualified to be issued Persons with Disability (PWD) identification cards as the same depends on the severity of their cases which is subject to assessment and recommendation by experts prior to the issuance of the said PWD identification cards.
Orteza said that the BGHMC is open to cater to the needs of pregnant women and children with special needs for them to be provided with the appropriate guidance on how to deal with their respective situations and cope up with the difficulties of having children with special needs for them to grow and still be part of mainstream society. By Dexter A. See