Wednesday 29 July 2009

Sarah Palin and Down's Syndrome

(This is an old post, revived. You will notice some of the comments date back to June 3.)


Dr Cathy Baldwin-Johnson's letter regarding Sarah Palin's health and the book Trailblazer make references to Trig's heart condition.

I have gathered some information on prematurity, known health risks faced by children with Down's Syndrome, advice on early intervention and funding for children with special needs in Alaska.


Advice on premature babies born without Down's Syndrome:

Even though your nurse practitioner told you it is safe to give birth after 35 weeks, ideally a baby should develop a little longer inside its mother. Premature babies are small (less than 6 pounds), and may have trouble with feeding, breathing on their own, maintaining their temperature, and jaundice. On the other hand, most babies born after 35 weeks will ultimately do well if they receive good medical care in a neonatal intensive care nursery.

Down's Syndrome

Parents who decide to continue the pregnancy should be advised that there is an increased risk of fetal demise in trisomy 21 pregnancies.

The mother and father of a newborn with Down syndrome should be encouraged to take adequate family leave before returning to work outside the home. The most intense bonding between parents and infant occurs in the first few weeks after birth. Bonding time may be especially important for the family of an infant with Down syndrome. Over this period, the new parents can become comfortable providing for the special needs of their child, and they can also begin to develop coping strategies for the future.

When the parents return to work, they may need assistance in finding appropriate day care. Most large day care centers accept children with Down syndrome. However, in these large centers, the infants with congenital heart defects may be at increased risk of infection and resultant congestive heart failure. Alternatives include in-home care or a home day care setting with a smaller number of children. A smaller day care facility can often maintain stricter infection control measures.

Children with DS often have medical problems such as chronic pulmonary hypertension, frequent infections, and pulmonary vascular overperfusion and injury from existing or previous cardiac defects. These problems all may be viewed as risk factors for HAPE (high-altitude pulmonary edema) and thus result in the rapid development of HAPE at low altitudes. Care should be taken when traveling to even moderate altitudes with children with DS.

Early intervention

Early intervention refers to all the ways that services aim to support babies and children with Down syndrome from birth to 5 years. These include health care, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational programmes designed to promote all areas of a child's development.

The rate of progress that children made depended on the amount of time their mothers had available to spend with them.

The first years of life are a critical time in a child’s development. All young children go through the most rapid and developmentally significant changes during this time. During these early years, they achieve the basic physical, cognitive, language, social and self-help skills that lay the foundation for future progress, and these abilities are attained according to predictable developmental patterns. Children with Down syndrome typically face delays in certain areas of development, so early intervention is highly recommended. It can begin anytime after birth, but the sooner it starts, the better.

Early intervention is a systematic program of therapy, exercises and activities designed to address developmental delays that may be experienced by children with Down syndrome or other disabilities. These services are mandated by a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law requires that states provide early intervention services for all children who qualify, with the goal of enhancing the development of infants and toddlers and helping families understand and meet the needs of their children. The most common early intervention services for babies with Down syndrome are physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy.

Alaska budget for Special Needs Education:







Under Sarah Palin, funds decreased from a planned budget of 8265.3 to 3156.0.

I have a few questions arising from all of the above.

Should a 44 year old pregnant woman carrying a baby with Down's Syndrome have clocked over 18,000 air miles in the third trimester of her pregnancy? These air miles include the wild ride, when said mother was leaking/not leaking amniotic fluid and was in labour/not in labour.

Should a premature baby with Down's Syndrome and a hole in his heart have gone to work with his mother three days after birth? I have a feeling Trig was born sometime before April 18...

Should a premature baby with Down's Syndrome and a hole in his heart have gone on a countrywide gruelling political campaign, flying between venues where he was passed from person to person, subjected to bright lights, high levels of noise, disrupted routines, etc, etc?



When would the above baby have received any necessary therapy to give him a chance to reach developmental milestones?

How could Sarah Palin make rousing speeches during the campaign,

"To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

then proceed to cut the budget for special schools in Alaska?

Do you believe $arah Palin is Trig's real mother?

Click on pictures to enlarge
.

45 comments:

KW said...

Her lies and hypocrisy are truly amazing!

The fact that she took Trig to work after 3 days doesn't square with pre-term, Down's, heart problems AND jaundice! You're right, it all points to Trig being born earlier, NOT to SP.

"The rate of progress that children made depended on the amount of time their mothers had available to spend with them."

Trig's progress is compromised, as she's too busy to spend time with him. According to Esquire magazine, Todd and Bristol are the main caregivers, so if he's getting therapy, it's without SP's input, another indication that she's not really his mother.

The photos of poor Trig during the campaign break my heart.

Thw whole thing stinks!

midnightcajun said...

Wow. It almost sounds like they were hoping to kill him, but then Sarah would lose her best prop, so it can't be that. Maybe they're just ignorant?

To be fair, we don't know whether or not the nanny (who is there, although we rarely hear of her) has special training to deal with his DS. She may be the one working with him. It obviously isn't the Governor. Todd is now said to be back on the North Slope, while Bristol is busy with her second baby. Maybe Piper has received special training?!

Anonymous said...

PDS is getting worse! You people have to much time in your hands. Get a life!!!

CC ... said...

@ anon 17:47

Step away from the computer, 3.489 Bristol (yeah, riiiight!!!). The correct phrase "TOO much time ON your hands."

Go back to taking care of your babies. I know it is not in the Palin DNA to care care of kids, but do try.

CC ... said...

*The correct phrase is

Patrick said...

Reg,

thanks a lot for this very important post! Trig's heart condition is indeed a fact which has been only rarely mentioned in the past - but it is important, because there is simply no way that a newborn down-syndrome baby with a heart defect would be presented to the media on the day of his birth, exposing him to all kinds of germs etc!! No doctor in the world would allow that to happen.

I have seen that your link to Cathy Baldwin-Johnson's letter doesn't work properly. Here is another link:

http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2008-11/43179602.pdf

Patrick said...

It seems now that the link which you had provided for CBJ's letter does work - there was probably just a glitch with my connection.

regina said...

Patrick,

I've changed the link to the one you posted...

Reg

Anonymous said...

Another question: to get appropriate state and federally-funded services this Downs baby is entitled to, wouldn't his parents have to produce a valid birth certificate?

Perhaps the absence of such needed services is yet another incalculable cost to an innocent for "mom's" self-serving choices.

Anonymous said...

Wow, some of the commenters don't like your presentation of certain facts! Maybe you are getting close to the real facts instead of the crap SP tried to feed the country.

Anonymous said...

It makes one wonder just "what" she'll have to speak about at the upcoming special needs fundrasing dinner.

I'm sure she's boning up on DS information.

Thing is, if this was something dear to her heart they would have "shared" more in the many many article opportunities they've had.

The only thing I've heard is Trigg now has glasses.

It just doesn't add up, if she is going to make herself an "advocate" for special needs why hasn't she said more about this topic.

She's just using the whole special needs group to advance her popularity. I hope they see though her.

Don't forget Palin was sued by a special needs parent because Palin and the state of AK did little to help her keep her child in state when he had to be institutionalized.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Regina. You are doing a great job! I use to advocate for children with disabilities years ago when mine were young. I couldn't remember what rights little Trig has under IDEA at birth. The rights of the child should be paramount. I have wondered about Trig's occupational therapy, and every thing else that is needed to ensure the best for him. From the outside looking in, there is no clear picture. But anything less then the best would be shameful. I really don't see a compassionate bone in GINO. She's more like a cold, the suck it up kid kinda person, to me. FWIW

Anonymous said...

Here is just a funny: I used to think that PDS was a syndrome experienced by those who were defending her lunacy.
Somebody is touchy today! What I want to know is why are they here if they are not interested in helping uncover the truth? Maybe they are just voyuers? Or maybe they have PDS too, also, too.

FEDUP!!! said...

Thanks for the enlightenment about HAPE!

It is inconceivable that she would take a DS baby ALL OVER THE COUNTRY (*including* 'Mile-High' city of Denver!), knowing the dangers of that ... unless, of course, she STILL wants him dead!
She is NOT providing him with the needed support as in therapy - we would have heard about it from any of the GVS et al interviews.
So, she is not giving him the needed support to help him cope later in life, to possibly give him a chance at 'normal' life; she is taking him all over the country (even just flying ANYWHERE is to put him at high altitudes - I believe an airplane cabin is pressurized to the equivalent of 10,000 ft...) : IMHO, she does not EVER want him to be able to function/understand/read at ANY level, because he would realize what kind of a devilish person she is.

Anonymous said...

I read here a very valid point. One that goes to the issue of whether she was ever prepared to be VP. I know that question has been answered many times, however, this is further evidence (read between the non-existent lines) that she has not displayed the intelligence, nor basic curiosity to educate herself on Down Syndrome. Is that not a microcosm of the larger issue that was demonstrated, by her alone and not any MSM or gotcha media, last fall? Seriously, if you can't learn about your own child's needs enough to coherently advocate about them to others then how can you take a huge, gigantor step beyond that to do the same for a nation of many needs? Seems like a f'n no-brainer to me. I'm just sayin...

Anyway....I hear much mention of a birth certificate lately. However, if she legally adopted whomever's child this is, hate to tell ya, she and Todd will be the ones listed on it, and it will prove nothing also, too.

my WV - gonewair (say it with a southern accent and it = cwazy...hehe)

Susan in MD

FEDUP!!! said...

BTW: I always cringe when I see that first pic in your line-up!
She is holding Trig on her arm, facing away from her, letting him hold onto her fingerw/o putting an arm around him - just propping him up. ONE little movement/arching of his back from him, and he falls!

Patrick said...

Susan at 19:37

As far as I know, the birthday wouldn't change on the birth certificate even if Trig was adopted by Sarah and Todd. And the birthday definitely wasn't on the 18th April 2008! That's why we will never see the birth certificate.

regina said...

FEDUP!!!,

I included this photo because I always cringe when I look at it as well. But then, he's just a prop...

Reg

Anonymous said...

Some time ago, I had a neighbor with a Downs Syndrome child. In addition to raising her three other children, she worked tirelessly with the boy, teaching and training him to work to the best of his abilities. It was a non-stop job, and there were few other options available to her at the time.

I do not see anything approaching that devotion and dedication in Sarah Palin. Just the fact that she has allowed her other children to opt in and out of school leads me to believe that there isn't a whole lot of stability in that family. I feel sorry for the kids.

Anonymous said...

So doesn't everyone "wonder" what Palin will speak about at the dinner?

oh yeah, I know, Meg will type up her speech after doing the homework for it, then Palin will maybe learn a thing or two by reading it.

I hope she her ignorance is seen by the "experts" in the room.

Do you think she'll take Trigg? or will she have an excuse.

Kyra said...

"Tell me Sarah, what do you read?"

"Well Katie, since I recently delivered a child with Down Syndrome, I am reading everything I can get my hands on so that I can give him the best care available. Since it is possible that he may need heart surgery, I am informing myself about the various options and dangers inherent in those options. I am reading newsletters and journals devoted to parents of children with developmental disabilities so that as vice president, I can ensure that children with special needs receive the services that they need. That's what I read, Katie." duh.

Teh Dokter said...

Patrick, good point on the BC..I hadn't thought about the birth date/time.

I mentioned somewhere else about Anne Kilkenney's letter from early on in the election. She was widely believed (the letter was given the go-over at factcheck.org)at the time. One thing she said was that she knew Trig was Sarah's child. I think that was the only personal tidbit in a letter having to do with Sarah's politics, which in hindsight makes it a little suspect. And also too, she was never heard from again. Does anyone know how her statement of certainty (to her) figures in to the Trig mystery?

Susan in MD

basheert said...

Look, obviously this low level moron has decided to take "prop baby" everywhere so she is perceived as a truly caring mom.
That's why he appears drugged too.

The possible accompanying conditions for Trisomy 21 (a medical term indicating which gene the problem lies with) are horrendous. DS has a cascade of conditions with cardiac involvement a major issue.

Many people believe that DS children ONLY have DS. Not an expert, but DS children can be and often are affected by many many horrendous medical problems both at birth and in their future lives.

While SP may have had some form of counseling at the birth (if???), the degree of cognitive impairment should ideally be identified extremely early so any interventions that may help him progress to his potential could start as soon as possible.

Obviously from what it appears, this child is simply a drugged stage prop. His future is uncertain especially if he does have the discussed cardiac involvement and his parents are not addressing his physical progress issues.

Doesn't matter whose child this is, he does not appear to be getting the appropriate care for a trisomy 21 child.

sandra said...

That is an interesting series of pictures. Cindy McCain is the only one holding Trig maternally.

I'm wondering if Trig will go to NY with SP. What ID is needed for a child on an air flight? Is a birth certificate needed? It might be if the parent wanted a reduced fare.

basheert said...

No a birth cert is not needed for a child under 12 to fly. They do not need ID. at all.

Lisa K said...

It says that it is a FEDERAL MANDATE for a child to have all these services. So is he or isn't he?
I know that her highness Palin doesn't like being told what to do by those "feds" but this is really interesting.

Yes the comments by some of her angry supporters are interesting. It seems people know the truth but are angry about it. How can her supporters not see it is my question? Now that is what I call PDS. People so completely enamored with her that they can't see that she is a lying fraud. Frightening!

basheert said...

DS therapy and treatment is up to the parent.

Point taken.

Lisa K said...

basheert, so a parent can do absolutely nothing? I was just going by Regina's link that said it was a federal mandate. I really have no idea.

teal said...

I'm so sorry Trigg...

Regina, that 1st pict always tugs at my heart too...

sarah douche said...

Palin quit for a reason.

She cut and ran because she wants to hide from The Truth.

Since she is no longer a publicly elected official she won't have to live her "open and transparent" lifestyle anymore - not that she ever did.

The coward is running scared.

basheert said...

Sorry must play devil's advocate here. WHERE in the letter does it state that Twerp has any type of cardiac disease???

I'm not saying there is no cardiac involvement, but it clearly stated there was NO evidence of congenital heart disease shown on the amnio.

Also, as a Trisomy 21, many defects and health issues can occur as one ages - these children frequently develop vision, hearing, cardiac, issues as they grow.

I'm not trying to argue, just trying to crystalllize what Reg says about him having cardiac involvement according to that one letter.

Buffalogal said...

basheert - did you really refer to Trig as "Twerp" ?? Can I ask , why ???

(I'm hoping I missed an earlier thread where there was discussion I missed that would put this in to context)

I apologize if I jumped without reason, but for me , that sounded awful .

regina said...

CBJ refers to no significant heart problems, which leaves minor problems. As he was indeed born with some heart problems that "resolved" without surgey, etc, and the letter was written after his birth, I concluded that a certain degree of impairment was present. The letter is not evidence of anything, but even without major heart problems, $P was reckless in the extreme, IF we believe the child is hers...

Anonymous said...

with as much anger this topic provokes.. i gotta wonder
Why don't the Palin lovers create a counteract blog .. to PROVE he is her child?

Is it because someone tried..but once digging into the story a little they were like... ehhh.. nevermind

Anonymous said...

Regina, regarding the budget pages, it appears to me that there is no money budgeted for special schools, only grants. Is there a way to know if these are federal grants vs state grants?

basheert said...

Thanks Regina - we need to be careful about talking about congenital heart defects since when I read the letter, I felt it as very ambiguous. It wasn't actually addressing the babies' issue(s) so much as $arah's medical "history" (out of thin air).

I do find it hard to believe a physician would put her license at risk by writing a letter that was a pack of lies. I tried to read it as a simple way to answer a few questions without revealing a confidential medical record.

And yes I called him Twerp - I can never remember which one is which.

And both of my grandkids have been referred to as Twerp when talking about them....it sort of defines a pre-toddler and toddler stage.

I feel very sorry for Trig - I don't believe he is receiving any of the therapy he should be getting.

Anonymous said...

I find it is interesting to note that while Palin didn't have any problem taking Trig with her all over the country on the campaign trail, when she went to Indiana for the RTL speech, she left Trig at home, and when she went to NY for the Autism walk, she left Trig at home.

Why was Trig left behind on these 2 major events?

It strikes me as odd.

Anonymous said...

Looking at the pictures, the one holding Trig with the most tenderness and concern was Cindy McCain.

Anonymous said...

Anon 0:13 you are right someone did try and he found out some information that freaked him out so much he had to stop. He told someone that the real story was so creepy that he couldn't believe it and he closed his blog. I am sure some of you were around then. I don't remember his name.

Everyone needs to write Chris Matthews. How can he not know about babygate. He also said som other things yesterday and I realized there was a lot he did not know about Scarah.

basheert said...

lisabeth: Just because the services are available to parents of DS children, does not mean all parents take advantage of them.

Some parents just don't care. If she truly thinks of him as a stage prop - and she is as intellectually stupid as I personally think she is, she may not really comprehend that her child will probably not fulfill his potential without special effort, training and therapies.

DS children are all different and can attain different levels of functionality. That can be enhanced by intesive efforts - mostly on the parts of the parents seeking out and advocating for their child to give him/her every advantage.

Also, Trisomy 21 children often and frequently have many many medical problems in conjunction with this defect. That depends upon the degree the Trisomy 21 gene is affected. Is it missing, partially there, 1/3 there? The degree of defect in the gene affects the potential of these individuals. It's not an all or nothing thing.

If $P is not taking advantage of everything available to her son, she is guilty of child neglect in my mind. Who among us would voluntarily choose to not give our child the opportunity to attain the best they can be?

From her body language, it appears to me that she is very uncomfortable with Trig. Just an opinion but since she's proven she's way too busy to be a mom, what else can we think when we watch her carry him like a sack of potatoes and hardly make eye contact.

Poor little guy ...

Floyd M. Orr said...

Regina, check out the book entitled Two Babies, by Daniel Archangel to be released 8/1/09!!

http://www.twobabiesnovel.com/inspiredby.htm

ProChoiceGrandma said...

VERY INTERESTING BOOK:
http://www.twobabiesnovel.com/aboutbook.htm

Perhaps someone beat Levi to the publishers??
Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the page "Story Inspiration". Lots of good info!!

Basheert @1:50, the book Trailblazer talked about a hole in Trig's heart, seemed to give more info than CBJ's letter (which IMHO was a forgery).

Anonymous said...

The author "Daniel Archangel" is the commenter "Dangerous" from the PD blog.

regina said...

Anon@13:12,

I don't think Daniel Archangel sounds like Dangerous.

Dangerous had theories about Willow, not Bristol...

Regina

Anonymous said...

It is him...