How can you prevent Down syndrome during pregnancy?
April 17, 2003 — Taking folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy may not only help prevent neural tube defects in babies, but it may also reduce the risk of Down syndrome.
Does Down syndrome happen randomly?
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.
What is the most common cause of Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is by far the most common and best known chromosomal disorder in humans and the most common cause of intellectual disability. It is primarily caused by trisomy of chromosome 21 (see the image below), which gives rise to multiple systemic complications as part of the syndrome.
What is the average life span of someone with Down syndrome?
The life expectancy for people with Down Syndrome has increased substantially. In 1929, the average life span of a person with Down Syndrome was nine years. Today, it is common for a person with Down Syndrome to live to age 50 and beyond.
What are the risks of Down syndrome?
Some parents have a greater risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. Risk factors include: Advancing maternal age. A woman’s chances of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increase with age because older eggs have a greater risk of improper chromosome division.
Who is at risk for Down syndrome?
Advanced maternal age is the only known risk factor for Down syndrome. The older the woman is when she delivers the infant, the higher the chances of having a child with Down syndrome. Couples who have had one child with Down syndrome are at a slightly increased risk (about 1%) for having another affected child.