Misconception: All people with Down syndrome are overweight. According to one study of 247 people with Down syndrome published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, women and men with Down syndrome are more likely to be overweight or obese than compared to the typical population.
There is some data that show that individuals with Down syndrome have increased leptin levels which correlates with higher rates of obesity. This is consistent with reports of family members and caregivers who have shared that their loved ones with Down syndrome never seem to get full.
While overweight and obesity are common in people with Down syndrome (and without Down syndrome), we have seen a smaller but significant number of individuals with Down syndrome who are underweight and/or have problems with unexplained weight loss. One of the first things to consider is inadequate intake.
Importantly, research has shown regular physical activity can improve muscle strength and aerobic capacity in people with Down syndrome and have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors. In addition to improving physical fitness, exercise is known to benefit mental health.
People with Down syndrome don't 'all look the same'. The condition is characterised by certain physical features, but people can have all of them — or none.
Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome - the usual physical features are not obvious.
Most individuals with Down syndrome have mild (IQ: 50–69) or moderate (IQ: 35–50) intellectual disability with some cases having severe (IQ: 20–35) difficulties. Those with mosaic Down syndrome typically have IQ scores 10–30 points higher than that.
Adults with Down syndrome have a range of needs, abilities, and desires, just like any other group of people. Some will learn to drive, have relationships, and live almost entirely on their own.
Some of these physical features are: widely spaced eyes that slightly slant upward, a small nose that is flattened at the bridge, microcephaly (small head size), low muscle tone, large tongue, short neck, small hands and short fingers. Most children with Down syndrome are also short in stature.
FINDINGS. A new UCLA study is the first to demonstrate that Down syndrome accelerates aging in different parts of the body. The researchers showed that the biological age of brain tissue from someone with Down syndrome appeared 11 years older than the person's chronological age.
Yes. A woman with Down's syndrome can have children. If her partner does not have Down's syndrome, the theoretical chance of the child having Down's syndrome is 50%. There have been only a few reports of men with Down's syndrome fathering children.
Abstract. Men with Down syndrome are considered as infertile although the causes of infertility are not known in detail yet. Although this constitutes a general rule there are three confirmed cases of parenting by fathers with Down syndrome.
He said if a couple with Down syndrome were to fall pregnant, they would have about a 50-50 chance of having a child with Down syndrome. Dr Gattas said data on the number of Down syndrome children born from parents who have the condition was slim.
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can contribute to weight gain. Hypothyroidism is much more common in people with DS. The Global Medical Care Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome recommend regular screening for hypothyroidism. Appropriate treatment may aid weight management.
People of all ages with Down syndrome can and do enjoy a variety of relationships with family members, friends, acquaintances, community members, and even sweethearts and spouses.
Some people with Down syndrome marry. Most men with Down syndrome cannot father a child. In any pregnancy, a woman with Down syndrome has a 1 in 2 chance of conceiving a child with Down syndrome. Many of the pregnancies are miscarried.
According to a number of medical reports, a woman with Down syndrome from Illinois, USA, known only as Mrs K., died at the age of 83 after developing complications from a broken hip.
Down Syndrome rates increased over time among individuals who identify as Black, Hispanic, or AIAN, but not among white or Asian individuals. Whether accessing and navigating changes in Down syndrome testing is contributing to these disparities in outcomes needs further study.
1. Today the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome is approximately 60 years. As recently as 1983, the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was 25 years. The dramatic increase to 60 years is largely due to the end of the inhumane practice of institutionalizing people with Down syndrome.
Still, there is a myth that people with IDs do not drink alcohol or use other drugs. It is just that, a myth. People with IDs, whether they are born with it or develop it later in life, can and will drink. Alcoholism can affect anyone.
Pulmonary infectious disease is the leading cause of mortality in Down syndrome, caused by both intrinsic (morphological factors) and extrinsic (immune dysfunction) factors. Listed in each organ cartoon are genes implicated in disturbed heart, lung and immune function.
They have similar features due to extra genetic material that affects growth of the maxilla (part of the skull) and the bone, cartilage, and connective tissue in the head, known as the cranial neural crest. 15 It creates common Down syndrome features such as upturned, almond-shaped eyes and a smaller head.
Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome are examples of syndromic intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disability affects about 2 to 3% of the general population. Seventy-five to ninety percent of the affected people have mild intellectual disability.
People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children. Some common physical features of Down syndrome include: A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose. Almond-shaped eyes that slant up.
IQ test experts estimate his IQ was somewhere between 160 and 180, which is quite high. Some people estimate his IQ was just over 200, hovering around 205. However, 160-180 is the more commonly estimated range. Only one in over 11,000 people score a 160, and only one in every 3.5 million people score a 180.