On the school playground at his Montessori school in Folsom, 5-year-old Toby Linn fits right in with the other kids his age and that's a comfort to his mother.

"We worry about friendships, we worry about the school setting, and we hope they won't be made fun of," said Elaine Linn.

Her son, Toby, has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder with a range of effects. In Toby’s case, his mom said he’s a quick learner, but with some developmental delays. The chance of having a child with Down syndrome is higher for pregnant women 35 and older. But age is not the only factor. Linn was 31 years old when she had Toby.

"I had the appropriate prenatal testing for a low-risk pregnancy," said Linn.

So now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is recommending Down syndrome screening be offered to all pregnant women, regardless of their age.

Sutter gynecologist Dr. Jacquelyn Chyu said screening factors in the mother's age, a blood test and an ultrasound to determine the risk of Down syndrome. From there, a mother may decide to have more invasive testing, like an amniocentesis. But that's done by sticking a needle into the womb, which carries a risk of miscarriage.

"They have to put all of these things in the balance scale to figure out if the risk I would incur, with amniocentesis, which is small, but it's there, worth the information I would gain," Chyu explained.

Sheri Graciano is 41 years old and pregnant with her second child. She opted for an amniocentesis with both of her pregnancies. "I felt if we had a child with Down syndrome, I wanted to be prepared, know ahead of time, know what I was getting myself into, research it as much as possible,” she said.

Elaine Linn said she likes that approach; using prenatal screening to empower expectant parents.

"We would like people to have accurate info about the abilities of Down syndrome, so that they can not be so fearful," Linn said.