What is the root cause of Down syndrome?

Trisomy 21.
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.

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What makes you high risk for Down's syndrome baby?

These factors include geographic region, maternal education, marital status, and Hispanic ethnicity. Because the likelihood that an egg will contain an extra copy of chromosome 21 increases significantly as a woman ages, older women are much more likely than younger women to give birth to an infant with Down syndrome.

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What originally caused Down syndrome?

Dr. Jérôme Lejeune discovered that Down syndrome was caused by an extra chromosome on the 21st pair while working in Raymond Turpin's laboratory In 1958. The French Academy of Sciences published his scientific work on January 26, 1959.

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What is Down syndrome most commonly caused by?

In most cases, Down syndrome occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. This form of Down syndrome is called trisomy 21. The extra chromosome causes problems with the way the body and brain develop.

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Is Down syndrome inherited from the mother or father?

(De Graaf et al., 2022). There is no definitive scientific research that indicates that Down syndrome is caused by environmental factors or the parents' activities before or during pregnancy. The additional partial or full copy of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome can originate from either parent.

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Down Syndrome, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

18 related questions found

Can you prevent having a child with Down syndrome?

There's no way to prevent Down syndrome. If you're at high risk of having a child with Down syndrome or you already have one child with Down syndrome, you may want to consult a genetic counselor before becoming pregnant. A genetic counselor can help you understand your chances of having a child with Down syndrome.

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What age of father is more likely to have Down syndrome?

The rate of Down syndrome for both maternal and paternal age greater than 40 years is approximately 60 per 10,000 births, which is a six-fold increase compared with maternal and paternal ages less than 35 years of age. In this age group, the paternal contribution to Down syndrome was 50 percent.

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Who is most prone to Down syndrome?

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.

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Does Down syndrome run in families?

Down's syndrome can be traced through families in less than 1% of people with the condition. These people all have rare types of translocation. It is very unusual for parents to have more than one child with Down's syndrome, or for relatives of these parents to have a child with the condition.

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What is the life expectancy of a Down syndrome person?

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.

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What causes Down syndrome Australia?

Down syndrome is a common genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome 21. Every person with Down syndrome is an individual. Just like everyone else they will have different things they are good at and other things they may need support with.

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Is Down syndrome caused by sperm?

In the majority of cases, the extra copy of chromosome 21 comes from the mother in the egg. In a small percentage (less than 5%) of cases, the extra copy of chromosome 21 comes from the father through the sperm. In the remaining cases, the error occurs after fertilization, as the embryo grows.

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Are Down syndrome babies active in the womb?

As for any pregnancy reduced fetal movements are a sign of the fetus being in poor condition and should not be accepted as “typical for a baby with Down's syndrome.” Mothers need to be reminded that babies should remain active even during late pregnancy and to report any reduction in fetal movements.

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Does stress cause Down syndrome?

“We are presently studying whether stress can be directly linked to the down syndrome. Our observations do seem to suggest that stress is a factor which can play a significant role and we are collecting evidence to prove it.

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Can folic acid prevent Down syndrome?

An adequate intake of folic acid during pregnancy, believed to protect against neural tube defects (NTDs) in babies, may also help prevent Down's syndrome, researchers report in The Lancet​ this week.

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What gender is Down syndrome most common in?

In a sample of 75 children with trisomy for chromosome 21, or Down syndrome, there were 42 males and 33 females. The sex ratio was 1.30 which is statistically not significant (p greater than 0.05).

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Is Down syndrome linked to mother?

Researchers know that Down syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome, but no one knows for sure why Down syndrome occurs or how many different factors play a role. One factor that increases the risk for having a baby with Down syndrome is the mother's age.

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Can you be a carrier of Down syndrome?

If you or your partner are a carrier of one type of Down syndrome (translocation Down syndrome), you carry (have) a gene change for the condition, but you don't actually have the condition. You can pass the gene change to your baby, but it's rare.

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How can you reduce the risk of Down syndrome?

There is nothing you can do to prevent or avoid your child having Down syndrome. However, your risk is lower if you have children at a younger age.

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Which couple has the highest risk of having a child with Down syndrome?

A mother's age at her child's birth is the only factor linked to the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. This risk increases with each year of age, especially after age 35. But younger women are more likely to have babies than older women. So most babies with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35.

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Does the egg or sperm cause Down syndrome?

Inheritance. Most cases of Down syndrome are not inherited. When the condition is caused by trisomy 21, the chromosomal abnormality occurs as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells in a parent. The abnormality usually occurs in egg cells, but it occasionally occurs in sperm cells.

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Can an older man's sperm cause birth defects?

On the other hand, old fathers (≥ 40 years) could increase risks of cardiovascular abnormalities, facial deformities, urogenital abnormalities, and chromosome disorders in their offspring.

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What foods prevent Down syndrome?

Foods with folic acid include : okra, pinto beans, navy beans, mustard green s, kale, spinach, chicken liver, beef liver, orange juice, asparagus, broccoli, avocado, green peas, cauliflower, tomato juice, peanuts, and cantaloupe.

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Can you tell if a baby has Down syndrome in an ultrasound?

An ultrasound can detect fluid at the back of a fetus's neck, which sometimes indicates Down syndrome. The ultrasound test is called measurement of nuchal translucency. During the first trimester, this combined method results in more effective or comparable detection rates than methods used during the second trimester.

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