Down Syndrome: Information and Birth Likelihood

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/03/31 - Updated: 2025/02/26
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Cognitive Disabilities - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: Comprehensive guide to Down syndrome covering genetic causes, health management, and support strategies for individuals, families, and care professionals.

Why it matters: This information provides a comprehensive overview of Down syndrome, a genetic disorder resulting from an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to varying degrees of physical and intellectual challenges. It details the three distinct forms of the condition - Trisomy 21, Translocation, and Mosaicism - and outlines common physical characteristics associated with the syndrome. The article also emphasizes that while the likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age, a significant number of children with the condition are born to mothers under 35. This resource offers evidence-based insights into early intervention strategies, educational adaptations, and community support systems while addressing lifespan considerations from childhood to adulthood. The content balances medical information with daily living recommendations, making it valuable for families, educators, healthcare providers, and policymakers seeking to improve quality of life for individuals with this condition - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

What is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that results in varying degrees of physical and mental retardation. The condition varies in severity, causing developmental problems that range from mild to severe. The disorder occurs as a result of extra genetic material. The disorder came by its name when an English physician, John Langdon Down, published a description of the characteristics of a person with the condition in 1886. Since Dr. Down was the first person to give the syndrome a name, the disorder is known as Down syndrome or Down's Syndrome. Approximately 6,000 babies, or 1 in every 700, born each year in the U.S. will have Down syndrome. There is no known reason for Down syndrome or a cure for it.

Main Item

Down syndrome is a disorder in which the child has extra genetic material. This extra genetic material causes the baby to develop differently in the womb. This abnormal development occurs during the early stages of cell division, soon after conception. In most people, the genes are contained on 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46 chromosomes. Most people with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the No. 21 chromosome, for a total of 47 chromosomes. Down syndrome is also a common cause of miscarriage.

The 3 Distinct Forms of Down Syndrome

There are three types of Down syndrome, all with the same features:

• Mosaic Down syndrome
• Translocation Down syndrome
• Trisomy 21, the most common

Brief Explanation of Each Type

• The most common form is Trisomy 21.This is when a child has an extra chromosome 21. Instead of having 46 chromosomes in each cell (23 from the father and 23 from the mother), he has 47. Ninety-five percent of children born with Down syndrome have Trisomy 21.
• Translocation is another form of Down syndrome and makes up 3 to 4% of the population of people with the disorder. Translocation occurs when part of chromosome 21 breaks off and attaches to another chromosome, changing the genetic makeup. In this form of Down syndrome, each cell has the normal 46 chromosomes, but there is extra genetic material from the broken off chromosome.
• The third and final form is called Mosaicism, and is the rarest form of Down syndrome, occurring in only 2% of all cases. Mosaicism happens when some of the cells in the forming embryo have 46 chromosomes, and some have 47. Thus, the alternating pattern gives it the name Mosaicism. People with Mosaicism may not be as affected with the physical and/or developmentally delayed characteristics of those born with the other two forms of Down syndrome. Common Physical Traits

Common Physical Characteristics of Down Syndrome

Babies with Down syndrome are usually diagnosed at birth or shortly thereafter. Because Down syndrome affects a child physically, there will be certain features that an alert doctor or nurse will pick up on. Most children with the syndrome will have some or all of these traits.

• Low muscle tone
• Small nose and flat nasal bridge
• An upward slant to the eyes (almond shaped)
• Small skin folds on the inner corner of the eyes
• Tongue large for size of child's mouth
• Small, sometimes abnormally shaped ears
• A single crease across the center of the palm
• Fifth finger, the pinky, has only one crease instead of two
• Larger than normal space between the large and second toe
• Joints are hyper flexible, able to extend greater than average

These physical traits are characteristic of a baby with Down syndrome, but in order to determine if a child does indeed have the disorder, a chromosome analysis will need to be performed. This is done by taking blood from your baby and the analysis will be done in a laboratory. Your doctor will notify you of the results.

Likelihood of Giving Birth to a Baby with Down Syndrome

• Most people associate having a child with Down syndrome with older women. While it is true that women over 35 do have an increased risk of having a child with Down syndrome, 80% of these children are born to those women under age thirty-five.
• In the United States, approximately 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born every year.
• A woman's chance of having a second baby with Down syndrome is approximately 1 in 100.

Prenatal Screening for Down Syndrome

Over the last 10 years, new technology has improved the methods of detection of Down syndrome.

While there are ways to diagnose Down syndrome by obtaining fetal tissue samples by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, it would not be appropriate to examine every pregnancy this way. Besides greatly increasing the cost of medical care, these methods do carry a slight amount of risk to the fetus.

So screening tests have been developed to try to identify those pregnancies at "high risk." These pregnancies are then candidates for further diagnostic testing. Screening Vs Diagnostic Test

The Difference Between a Screening Test and Diagnostic Test:

• In screening tests, the goal is to estimate the risk of the patient having the disease or condition.
• In diagnostic tests, a positive result very likely means the patient has the disease or condition of concern.

Diagnostic tests tend to be more expensive and require an elaborate procedure; screening tests are quick and easy to do. However, screening tests have more chances of being wrong: there are "false-positives" (test states the patient has the condition when the patient really doesn't) and "false-negatives" (patient has the condition but the test states he/she doesn't). Maternal Serum Screening

The mother's blood is checked for three items:

• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
• Unconjugated estriol (uE3)
• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

These three are independent measurements, and when taken along with the maternal age (discussed below), can calculate the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome.

A very important consideration in the screening test is the age of the fetus (gestational age). The correct analysis of the different components depends on knowing the gestational age precisely. The best way to determine that is by ultrasound.

Test results are sometimes reported to doctors as "Multiples of the Median (MoM)." The "average" value is therefore called 1.0 MoM. Down syndrome pregnancies have lower levels of AFP and estriol, so their levels would be less than 1.0 MOM. hCG in a Down syndrome pregnancy would be greater than 1.0 MoM.

Finally, the calculated risk is used to modify the risk already statistically calculated based on the mother's age. We already know that as the mother's age advances, the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome increases.

For example: Let's say the test results come back in the typical range for a pregnancy not associated with Down syndrome (that would be 1.0 MoM for all components). This result reduces the woman's risk of having a child with Down syndrome four-fold.

Down Syndrome Facts and Statistics

• Growth Charts for Children with Down Syndrome
• Ultrasound imaging can be used to screen for Down syndrome.
• Down syndrome is the cause of 8% of all congenital disorders.
• Hearing and vision disorders occur in more than half of people with Down syndrome.
• The rate of congenital heart disease in newborns with Down syndrome is around 40%.
• Problems of the thyroid gland occur in 20 - 50% of individuals with Down syndrome.
• Those with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities.
• Commonly, individuals with Down syndrome have better language understanding than ability to speak.
• As of 2006, only 3 instances of males with Down syndrome fathering children and 26 cases of women having children have been reported.
• About 92% of pregnancies in Europe with a diagnosis of Down syndrome are terminated. In the United States, termination rates are around 67%.
• Most individuals with Down syndrome have mild (IQ: 50 - 70) or moderate (IQ: 35 - 50) intellectual disability with some cases having severe (IQ: 20 - 35) difficulties.
• Globally, as of 2010, Down syndrome occurs in about 1 per 1000 births and results in about 17,000 deaths.
• More children are born with Down syndrome in countries where abortion is not allowed and in countries where pregnancy more commonly occurs at a later age.
• About 1.4 per 1000 live births in the United States, in the United States, it occurred in 2 per 1000 live births with the decrease since then due to prenatal screening and abortions.
• Maternal age affects the chances of having a pregnancy with Down syndrome. At age 20, the chance is one in 1441; at age 30, it is one in 959; at age 40, it is one in 84; and at age 50 it is one in 44. Although the probability increases with maternal age, 70% of children with Down syndrome are born to women 35 years of age and younger, because younger people have more children.

Famous People Who Had or Have Down Syndrome

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Accurate health information remains vital for dismantling stereotypes and creating equitable support structures. By presenting Down syndrome through both clinical and lived-experience lenses, this resource challenges outdated assumptions while providing concrete tools for advocacy. Its strength lies in translating complex genetic concepts into actionable knowledge, reminding us that informed communities foster environments where diverse abilities can thrive without prejudice or limitation

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.