PALO ALTO, Calif-- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is proud to announce the opening of its new Down Syndrome Clinic. This comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinic, the only one of its kind on the West Coast, combines convenience with peace of mind for parents of children with Down syndrome by providing a single site for the evaluation and individualized care of their child.    
 
"The clinic is a kind of command center," said clinic director Gene Hoyme, MD, "assessing the need for specialized medical, genetic, developmental, psychological testing, and therapy services and making appropriate referrals as indicated. The clinic's dedicated professionals will interact with each child's primary care physician and the educational system to provide a coordinated approach to care for each child." Hoyme, a medical geneticist, is Chief of Genetics Services at Packard Children's. Heidi Feldman, MD, the newly appointed Director of the Mary L. Johnson Developmental and Behavioral Assessment Unit, will be actively involved in patient care as well.
 
"These children have special health care needs that are best addressed by a team of physicians, nurses, therapists and other clinicians familiar with both the child and his or her past medical history," said William Mobley, MD, PhD, who directs Packard Children's Brain and Behavior Center. "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."
 
"I postponed a couple of doctor visits because I knew the clinic would be opening," said Patty O'Brien White, whose seven-year-old, Amy, has Down syndrome. Amy needs regular appointments with eye specialists and audiologists, in addition to regular check-ups. She was also being seen by a GI specialist for a while. White, who founded the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, also pointed out another advantage of the clinic. "Amy was my pediatrician's only patient with Down syndrome," she said. "In contrast, the specialists at Packard's clinic have treated hundreds of children like her. By taking Amy to the Down syndrome clinic I can be sure that she's being treated by a team of highly experienced people."
 
The clinic is expected to draw patients from across California for developmental assessments and medical exams tailored to the specific health challenges associated with Down syndrome. Specialists in the clinic view their role not only as providing specialized medical and therapy services, but also educating families and referring physicians about the special needs of children with Down syndrome and advocating for children and their families in the larger community.
 
Hoyme and Mobley expect that clinic patients will likely have access to any clinical trials or new treatments that may arise during the coming years. For example, scientists at the Down Syndrome Research Center recently identified a protein responsible for some of the cognitive difficulties faced by Down syndrome patients. "There is a huge need for new treatments for these children," said Mobley.  "Right now there is nothing other than supportive care for these folks. We're cautiously optimistic that what we're learning now may one day lead to clinical trials." Coupled with the depth and quality of research conducted at Packard Children's and Stanford, the clinic is arguably one of the most advanced places in the world devoted to treating children with Down Syndrome.
 
About Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Ranked annually as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is a 264-bed hospital devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers. Providing pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services and associated with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Packard Children's offers patients locally, regionally and nationally the full range of health care programs and services — from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, visit www.lpch.org.