The questionnaire to parents of children with the Down syndrome: How to inform the parents and psychological responses to counseling

This study determined the experience of 137 sets of parents when they were informed that their child had Down syndrome and how they would have preferred this matter to have been handled. The survey revealed that the majority of parents would have preferred being told as soon as possible, with both of them present, and that they had suspected something wrong at the birth of the child. This information prompted us to analyze critically the parental experiences and to formulate a positive approach, with sensitive, supportive, and progressive counseling.