Down syndrome is brought on by an extra copy of chromosome 21 in the developing baby's cells.
In a population without screening, one in every 700 infants is born with Down syndrome. A baby may be affected even if there is no history of Down syndrome in the family because it is not often inherited.
Over 70% of Down syndrome babies are born to women under the age of 35, despite the fact that the condition becomes more prevalent as mothers age.
Moderate to severe developmental handicaps, as well as health problems like heart defects and visual and hearing problems, are always connected to down syndrome. The severity of impairment cannot be assessed.
Nine out of 10 babies with Down syndrome survive their first year, and more than half reach the age of 60.
Eight to nine out of ten cases of Down syndrome are identified (classified as screen positive). This indicates that one or two pregnancies with Down syndrome are overlooked out of every ten.
Down syndrome might go undetected during the prenatal stages and even after delivery. However, other forms of Down syndrome, including Mosaic Down syndrome, lack recognizable characteristics.