Down Syndrome Statistics

Down Syndrome statistics are an important part of understanding this chromosomal condition.  It is one that is characterized by the presence of additional genetic material on the twenty-first chromosome.   This can cause a multitude of different effects within people but the statistics include everyone regardless of these effects.  They show that:

  1. Down syndrome is on the rise.  It rose 31% between 1979 and 2003.  This was an increase from nine to twelve persons out of 10,000 being born with Down syndrome.  The prevalence (the total number of cases of Down syndrome in the population at a given time) of Down syndrome varies depending upon the state.  For instance, 9.7% of babies in Arkansas were born with this syndrome while 13.7% were born with it in Utah.
  2. Older mothers are approximately five times more likely to give birth to a child with Down syndrome.  In fact, it is estimated that 38.6 babies out of 10,000 are born with it.  However, whenever this rate is monitored amongst younger women you will notice that only 7.8 babies out of 10,000 are born with Down syndrome.
  3. One in every 1,000 children and adolescents under the age of 19 has Down syndrome.  This means that 83,000 children and adolescents in America has been diagnosed with it.  The age group with the highest prevalence is that of newborn to age three with the age group with the lowest prevalence being that of adolescents between the age of 16 and 19.
  4. The ethnic group with the least occurrence of Down syndrome is African Americans.  On the other hand, the ethnic group with the highest occurrence is Hispanics.  Non-Hispanics, whites and other ethnicities fall somewhere in the middle of these two ethnic groups whenever the prevalence of this disorder is considered.
  5. More males tan females are diagnosed with Down syndrome.  Unfortunately, most of those who were diagnosed with this syndrome also had major congenital heart defects.  On the other hand, those who didn’t have major congenital heart defects usually didn’t have a high occurrence of Down syndrome either.
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