Skip to main content
  • Down Syndrome
    Down syndrome continues to be the most common chromosomal disorder. According to WHO, incidence of Down Syndrome is estimated to be around 1 in 1,000 to 1 live births worldwide. Between 1979 and 2003, the number of babies born with Down syndrome increased by about 30%. The good news is that the life expectancy of people with Down syndrome increased dramatically from 10 years old in 1960 to 47 years in 2007.   
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 21 March 2016

Down’s syndrome is usually caused by an error in cell division. All people with Down’s syndrome have an extra, critical portion of chromosome 21 present in all or some of their cells. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with the syndrome. 

  • Trisomy 21 - About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21.
  • Mosaic Down syndrome - In this form children have some cells with an extra copy of chromosome 21. 
  • Translocation Down syndrome - In this form part of chromosome 21 becomes attached (translocated) onto another chromosome, before or at conception. 

There are no known environmental, behavioural causes of Down's syndrome and it is not inherited either.

Risk factors for developing Down’s syndrome

The most common risk factor for giving birth to a child with Down’s syndrome is the age of the mother. The risk of giving birth to a baby with Down’s syndrome increases as the mother’s age increases. The chances are 1 out of 350 births for women above 35 years and 1 out of 25 births for women above 45 years.

If a mother has had a child with Down's syndrome, the chance of having another with Down's syndrome is higher. It is about 1 in 100. 

 

Condition

Stories

  • "I Decide Everything I Like To Do" Says This Photographer With Down's Syndrome
    Shalini Gupta talks about her teenage daughter Gayatri, a person with Down’s Syndrome, who has grown up to be an independent young lady because her parents have always given her freedom within limits, something that Gayatri has learnt to appreciate. Gayatri is also an avid and a successful photographer. What is the kind of independence you encourage in your daughter? Gayatri is a teenager at 18 years of age. But boy, is she independent!! Most people who get to know her understand what a…
  • "I Am Very Focussed At Work" - Video Interview
    Devanshi Joshi, 26 from Delhi is now working for nearly 7 years. She is the first employee of Future Group - Big Bazaar with Down Syndrome. She has been feted many times. She does a video interview on her professional experience.  Devanshi has won many recognitions like Stree Udhyami Award, Presidential National Award as Best Employee, Down Syndrome Federation of India Award as Role Model and Self Advocate, MindTree-NCPEDP Helen Keller Award, many felicitations, among others.  Read an…
  • Exposure To Diverse Situations Helped Make Her Independent
    Devanshi was born with Down’s Syndrome, but that did not stop her from trying out every opportunity that came her way, says Devanshi’s father, Anil Joshi Please tell us how and when Devanshi was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome? Diagnosis was done immediately after birth by looking at physical features. It was later confirmed by blood test Karyotyping where the presence of 47 chromosomes gets confirmed. Down’s Syndrome is a condition and NOT a Disease. Persons with Down’s Syndrome ARE NOT…
  • Art As Expression And Financial Independence
    Art is increasingly recognised as medium of expression for persons with intellectual disabilities. Our editor Moyna Sen, who attended the Art Sanctuary's Gala organised by Shalini Gupta shares her impressions.  Shaurya Mehrotra may be a young man of few words. But he is a happy person when he is around his creations at the recently held Art Sanctuary’s Gala: Art, Ceramic and Photography Workshops at DLF Chattarpur Farms -- beautiful ceramic pots and bowls, colourful and lovingly created by…
  • Dr. Rekha Ramachandran on the right with her daughter Babli with down syndrome on the left
    "Let People Stare. They Stare At Beautiful People!"
    Dr. Surekha Ramachandran, mother of a young woman with Down Syndrome and Chairperson of the Down Syndrome Federation of India sheds light on the myths and misconceptions about persons with Down Syndrome . And a message to all parents on World Down Syndrome Day. PatientsEngage spoke with Dr. Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India. Established in the year 1984, with 6 children, DSFI today serves innumerable children not only around India, but also the Middle East…
  • Shaurya a young man with down syndrome in a blue shirt in front of his paintings holding a burger he sculpted
    "I Like To Go Everyday, It's My Work Place"
    ‘I enjoy painting, I love bright colours specially Red’, says Shaurya who is the proud owner of the Banana Studio in Gurugram. Shaurya’s mother Nina Mehrotra recounts her journey with her 31-year-old son who has Down’s Syndrome and how the studio has given him an identity of an artist and a potter. When was Shaurya diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and what were the early symptoms? Shaurya was born on 19th January, 1988. At birth he was a premature baby and while he was recovering from infant…
  • Down Syndrome Cycling Camp with kids learning to cycle and volunteers running along
    Can Children With Down Syndrome Cycle Independently?
    A special cycling camp for children with Down syndrome brought in loads of fun, learning and togetherness for the participants as well as the young volunteers. Interview with Deepa Garwa, Secretary, Delhi Down Syndrome Parents Society and blogger, and her son, Aaryamann, who meticulously organized the 5-day camp. Deepa, you held a cycling camp for children with Down syndrome recently. Please could you tell us something about it? Seeing my daughter, Aarshia, cycling independently was a very…
  • A child in a red tshirt holding a baby doll and stretching a hand out to block. The stretched hand covers the face
    Protecting Children With Disabilities from Sexual Abuse
    Personal safety and sexuality education is critical for children and young individuals with Intellectual disabilities, auditory or visual impairments. But it often does not get the right level of attention from parents and teachers. Enfold Proactive Health Trust, a Bangalore based NGO, has devised a project ‘Suvidha’ to address this gap. Read on. All children, irrespective of the ‘normalcy’ of their neural or physical development, have a right to safety and dignity. Personal safety education…
  • Image description: The team of people with intellectual and development disability who operate Cafe Arpan, a Juhu Mumbai snacks cafe
    We Love Making Cold Coffee and Garam Chai
    This one of a kind café in Mumbai provides employment opportunities to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and is full of yummy snacks. Read trustee Ashaita Mahajan’s interview for full story. In the last few years, a handful of restaurants and eateries have opened across India that are creating opportunities for the differently abled. Café Arpan is the latest addition. Could you tell us how Café Arpan was envisaged and what is its mission? Cafe Arpan is the second supported…
  • Aarshia on the left a young Indian black haired spectacled girl with Down Syndrome in a purple dress and on the right her brother Aaryamann a young Indian teen boy with black hair in a purple kurta and white pyjamas
    No Special Favours For This Sister!
    As part of our Raksha Bandhan series, Aaryamann and Aarshia share nuggets of what makes their sibling relationship as special and adorable as any other brother-sister relationship.  Aarshia,11 is a sprightly young girl who has also starred in an Indo-Australian film on Down Syndrome, directed by Onir  "Raising The Bar"  Aaryamann, 16  is a football and math enthusiast. In spite of being a brother of a girl with special needs, he doesn't give her any special privileges…