Down’s the facts

Down’s Syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 inside some or all of the body’s cells and around 700 babies a year are born with this in the UK.

People with Down’s Syndrome have the same feelings and moods as everyone else.

There are three types of Down’s Syndrome. The most common is Trisomy 21 at

94%, followed by Translocation at 4% and Mosaic at 2%.

Termination of pregnancy levels due to Down’s Syndrome has dropped by 2%, from 92% in 1989 – 2010, to 90% in 2011 – 2013.

Down’s Syndrome children are likely to have slower speech and language skills which may affect their communication and education.

Many children with Down’s Syndrome attend mainstream school and many adults can live independently and hold down jobs.

There are around 41,700 people in the UK with Down’s Syndrome and life expectancy is 58 years.

Adults with Down’s Syndrome have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia after the age of 40.