Down Syndrome

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Genetics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Down syndrome is a condition in which a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. People with Down syndrome can have physical problems, as well as intellectual disabilities. Every person born with Down syndrome is different.

People with the syndrome may also have other health problems. They may be born with heart disease. They may have dementia. They may have hearing problems and problems with the intestines, eyes, thyroid, and skeleton.

The chance of having a baby with Down syndrome increases as a woman gets older. Down syndrome cannot be cured. Early treatment programs can help improve skills. They may include speech, physical, occupational, and/or educational therapy. With support and treatment, many people with Down syndrome live happy, productive lives.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• Down Syndrome (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Down Syndrome in Adults: Staying Healthy (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Facts about Down Syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• What is Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Symptoms

• What Are Common Symptoms of Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Down Syndrome Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• Prenatal Tests for Down Syndrome (American College of Nurse-Midwives) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

• What Are Common Treatments for Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Alzheimer's Disease in People with Down Syndrome (National Institute on Aging)
• Down Syndrome: Co-Occuring Conditions (National Down Syndrome Society)
• Down Syndrome: Eye Problems (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Speech & Language Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome (National Down Syndrome Society)
• What Causes Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• What Conditions or Disorders are Commonly Associated with Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• What is Down Syndrome? (National Down Syndrome Society)

Genetics

• Down syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Learning about Down Syndrome (National Human Genome Research Institute)

Statistics and Research

• DS-Connect: The Down Syndrome Registry (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• High Rates of Dementia, Alzheimer's Observed Among Older People with Down Syndrome (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Who is at Risk for Down Syndrome? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Down Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Medical Care of Adults With Down Syndrome: A Clinical Guideline.
• Article: Pneumonia and respiratory infections in Down syndrome: A scoping review of...
• Article: The relationship between chronic health conditions and cognitive deficits in children,...
• Down Syndrome -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish
• National Down Syndrome Society

Children

• Down Syndrome (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

• Aging and Down Syndrome (National Down Syndrome Society) - PDF

Patient Handouts

• Down syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Nuchal translucency test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish