Down syndrome clinic opens at Packard Hospital
On July 11, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital opened the West Coast's first comprehensive, multidisciplinary Down syndrome clinic. The clinic combines convenience with peace of mind for parents of children with Down syndrome by scheduling multiple exams during one visit and coordinating all aspects of a child's care.
"The clinic will serve as a kind of command center," said clinic director Gene Hoyme, MD, "coordinating developmentally appropriate cognitive, medical and psychiatric testing, and counseling parents or caregivers about test results and any additional concerns." Hoyme directs the biochemical genetics laboratory at Packard Children's and is a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.
"I've already postponed a couple of doctor visits because I knew the clinic would be opening," said Patty O'Brien White, whose 7-year-old, Amy, has Down syndrome. "My pediatrician has only one patient with Down syndrome—Amy," said White, who founded the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation. "In contrast, the specialists at Packard have treated hundreds of children like her."
This type of focused, individual attention is necessary to fully address the unique range of medical issues that can occur in children with the condition. In addition to the cognitive delays and unique facial features that many people associate with the condition, people with Down syndrome also often struggle with heart, thyroid and digestive problems, vision and hearing difficulties and Alzheimer's disease.
The clinic is located in the hospital's Mary L. Johnson Ambulatory Care Center at 730 Welch Road.