Abstract. Down syndrome is the most common autosomal chromosome anomaly with several medical abnormalities and intellectual disability, occurring in about of 1:1,000 to 1:1,100 infants. Many pregnancies in women with Down syndrome produce children both with normal and with trisomy 21, whereas males are infertile.
It is well known that the extra chromosome 21 originates from the mother in more than 90% of cases, the incidence increases with maternal age and there is a high recurrence in young women.
There have been only a few reports of men with Down's syndrome fathering children. Again, if a man's partner did not have Down's syndrome, the chance that the baby would have the condition is 50%. If both partners have Down's syndrome there is a high chance of their children having the condition.
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.
What is the likelihood of having a second child with Down syndrome? Once a parent has given birth to a baby with trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) or translocation, it is estimated that the chances of having another baby with trisomy 21 is 1 in 100 up until age 40.
People with Down syndrome can expect to live to 60
In the 1940s, a child with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of 12 years. These days, their life expectancy is 60 years and a baby born with Down syndrome could live into their 80s — in line with the general population.
As men age, their risk of fathering a child with Down syndrome may increase—the older the man, the more likely that the process of spermatogenesis, or sperm production will go awry, leading to sperm that contain errors like an extra chromosome.
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.
Although women older than 35 years of age make up a small portion of all births6 in the United States each year, about nearly one-half of babies with Down syndrome are born to women in this age group.
Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic problems that can occur in pregnancy. If a pregnancy has a genetic abnormality it will usually be miscarried early. However Down syndrome does not always miscarry.
About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21 — the person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.
You can't prevent Down syndrome since it's a genetic condition. To learn more about your risk of having a child with a genetic condition, talk to your healthcare provider about genetic testing.
In almost all cases, Down's syndrome does not run in families. Your chance of having a baby with Down's syndrome increases as you get older, but anyone can have a baby with Down's syndrome. Speak to a GP if you want to find out more. They may be able to refer you to a genetic counsellor.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
Mosaicism, or mosaic Down syndrome, is diagnosed when there is a mixture of two types of cells. Some have the usual 46 chromosomes, and some have 47. Those cells with 47 chromosomes have an extra chromosome 21. Mosaicism is usually described as a percentage.
Down syndrome symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. No matter how severe the condition is, people with Down syndrome have a widely-recognized appearance.
Mosaicism. Mosaicism (or mosaic Down syndrome) exists when there are a mixture of two types of cells, some containing the usual 46 chromosomes and some containing 47. Those cells with 47 chromosomes contain an extra chromosome 21. Mosaicism is the least common form of Down syndrome.
Most children with Down syndrome have some level of intellectual disability ⎯ usually in the mild to moderate range. People with mild intellectual disability are usually able to learn how to do everyday things like read, hold a job, and take public transportation on their own.
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. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.
Their ears may be small, lower set on the head and tops may fold over. Body: Babies with DS usually start out at average weight and length. As they grow individuals with DS often fall behind their typical peers. Adult males have an average height of 5 feet 2 inches and women reach about 41/2 feet.
Don't say , “Downs kids are just so special…”
Because we don't want them defined as a disorder or a defect. We want them defined as a little person who, oh by the way, has Down Syndrome. It is a very little nuance, most of us parents will let it slide, but we prefer not to have our child defined as a Downs child.
There's no maximum age that stops a man from being able to have a baby. You can become a father long into your older years, but there are risks.
A father with Down syndrome who worked in a factory for 25 years, raised his son to become a doctor and a beautiful human being. Sader Issa (@saderissa), who studied dentistry in Syria, became a Down syndrome advocate, and shares his story of how he was raised by his father Jad.
Kenny Cridge, the world's oldest living man with Down's Syndrome, celebrated his 76th birthday recently with family, friends and cake.