Neonatal diagnosis of <scp>D</scp>own syndrome in the <scp>N</scp>etherlands: suspicion and communication with parents

DS is still often diagnosed after birth, usually on the first day of postnatal life. Most identified clinical features were upslanted palpebral fissures, epicanthic folds and hypotonia. Special attention for recognition of all present clinical features is needed for early diagnosis. Appropriate communication with the parents of the message that their child has DS can be difficult. Guidelines can help to make counselling easier and more effective, which in turn may increase parental satisfaction. Not all recommendations for the first conversation with parents were fully implemented in Dutch clinical practice.