More babies with Down's syndrome being born

Greater numbers of babies with Down's syndrome are being born in the UK as attitudes to the condition shift, according to a new survey. The Down's Syndrome Association carried out a survey of 1,000 parents who had decided to deliver a Down's baby after a positive test. It found that these parents thought that society's stance towards Down's syndrome has become more positive and that children with the condition face a better future than 20 years ago.

A fifth of respondents said that they knew somebody with Down's, which had influenced their decision.

The majority of the parents said that they knew they had the support of their friends and family, which helped them.

Meanwhile the integration of children with Down's into mainstream education proved to be a major factor for most parents as they felt that society would not treat their offspring as though they were different.

Carol Boys, the group's chief executive, told the BBC: "When I and others had our babies it was a very different world - those with Down's syndrome were treated very differently.

"Now there is much greater inclusion and acceptance, with mainstream education having a huge role. We think this plays a part in the decisions parents make."