Medical Genetics This ethnic insult came under fire in the early 1960s from Asian genetic researchers, and the term was dropped from scientific use, instead the condition became called "downs syndrome. In the 1970s, an American revision of scientific terms changed it simply to"Down syndrome, while it still is called Downs in the UK and some places in EuropeMedical Genetics This ethnic insult came under fire in the early 1960s from Asian genetic researchers, and the term was dropped from scientific use. Instead, the condition became called "Down's syndrome." In the 1970s, an American revision of scientific terms changed it simply to "Down syndrome," while it still is called "Down's" in the UK and some places in Europe