Health Concerns Copy

Most people with Down syndrome do have additional health issues, and even though it is extremely rare for a person to have all of the associated health conditions, they usually do have some of them. Below are some of the most common health issues and the percentage of the population of people with Down syndrome affected by them:

• Hearing Issues (approximately 75%)
• Vision Issues (approximately 60%)
• Heart defects (approximately 50%)
• Thyroid Issues (about 4-18%)
• Gastrointestinal issues (about 12%)

The life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has nearly doubled since the 1980’s. The current life expectancy is about 60 years old. Most serious medical conditions, such as gastro-intestinal and heart issues are  treatable in the first 2 years of life. The survival rate for these surgeries is very high, reported at about 99% for AVSD repair. We now have specialized Down syndrome clinics nationwide in the US, and Dr. Skotko just announced the creation of a new virtual clinic. We also have best practice guidelines for treating children with Down syndrome that are widely used by pediatricians (see below).​

Resources & Supports:

• AAP Children with Down Syndrome: Health Care Information for Families 
• AAP Health Supervision for Children with Down Syndrome 
• Down Syndrome Medical Care Centers 

References:

Bull MJ; Committee on Genetics. Health supervision for children with Down syndrome. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):393–406

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