Can you have Down syndrome without looking like you do?

Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome - the usual physical features are not obvious. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.

Can you be slightly Down syndrome?

Down syndrome symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. No matter how severe the condition is, people with Down syndrome have a widely-recognized appearance. The head may be smaller than normal and abnormally shaped.

Does Down syndrome always affect appearance?

People with Down syndrome often have a characteristic facial appearance that includes a flattened appearance to the face, outside corners of the eyes that point upward (upslanting palpebral fissures ), small ears, a short neck , and a tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth.

Can you have Down syndrome features and not have it?

A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm – although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.

Do all people with Down syndrome have facial features?

Many people with Down syndrome have the common facial features and no other major birth defects. However, some people with Down syndrome might have one or more major birth defects or other medical problems.

Down Syndrome Answers: What does Down syndrome look like?

Can you have Down syndrome and be smart?

scores for people with Down syndrome vary, with the average cognitive delays being mild to moderate, not severe. In fact, normal intelligence is possible.

Can Down syndrome people drive?

Many people with Down Syndrome lead independent lives, this includes being able to drive. If a person with Down syndrome can read and pass a driver's education class and pass a road test, then they can get a driver's license. Each case is independent and must be evaluated.

What is the mildest form of Down syndrome?

Mosaic Down syndrome occurs in about 2 percent of all Down syndrome cases. People with mosaic Down syndrome often, but not always, have fewer symptoms of Down syndrome because some cells are normal.

What is the difference between Down syndrome and mosaic Down syndrome?

When a baby is born with Down syndrome, the healthcare provider takes a blood sample to do a chromosome study. Mosaicism or mosaic Down syndrome is diagnosed when there is a mixture of two types of cells. Some have the usual 46 chromosomes and some have 47. Those cells with 47 chromosomes have an extra chromosome 21.

Can you develop Down syndrome at any age?

Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.

What are 5 characteristics of Down syndrome?

The characteristics of Down syndrome include low muscle tone, short stature, a flat nasal bridge, and a protruding tongue. People with Down syndrome have a higher risk of some conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.

At what age does Down syndrome become evident?

Physical Examination. Down syndrome is usually quite evident as soon as a baby with the disorder is born, as many of its distinctive physical characteristics are present at birth.

What are 5 features recognized in a Down's syndrome individual?

People with Down syndrome may have some or all of these physical characteristics: a small chin, slanted eyes, poor muscle tone, a flat nasal bridge, a single crease of the palm, and a protruding tongue due to a small mouth and relatively large tongue.

Can a child have Down syndrome and look normal?

Misconception: People with Down syndrome all look alike.

For example, many but not all people with Down syndrome have almond-shaped eyes and a short stature. However, like typical people who share similar features, they look more like their families than each other.

What are the 3 types of Down syndrome?

There are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), translocation and mosaicism. Trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) accounts for 95% of known cases of Down syndrome.

Can a Down syndrome kid have a normal kid?

Abstract. Down syndrome is the most common autosomal chromosome anomaly with several medical abnormalities and intellectual disability, occurring in about of 1:1,000 to 1:1,100 infants. Many pregnancies in women with Down syndrome produce children both with normal and with trisomy 21, whereas males are infertile.

Is there a scale of Down syndrome?

The Developmental Scale for Children with Down Syndrome begins at Birth and increases in 4 months steps until age 24 months, at this point it progresses in 12-month steps. The Scale ends when the child is just turning 6 years of age (or 71 months).

Is Down syndrome obvious at birth?

When a baby is born with Down syndrome, our care providers can usually tell right away from some similar physical characteristics, such as eyes that slant upward, a single crease across their palm, and a large gap between their first and second toes.

How can I tell if my baby has Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is usually diagnosed during pregnancy. If Down syndrome is not diagnosed during pregnancy, health care providers can usually diagnose Down syndrome based on the infant's appearance. In such cases, the diagnosis should be confirmed using a blood test that examines the child's chromosomes (karyotype).

What is the lowest possible risk for Down syndrome?

The cut off is 1 in 150. This means that if your screening test results show a risk of between 1 in 2 to 1 in 150 that the baby has Down's syndrome, this is classified as a higher risk result. If the results show a risk of 1 in 151 or more, this is classified as a lower risk result.

What is the life expectancy of a woman with Down syndrome?

However, with appropriate medical care most children and adults with Down syndrome can lead healthy lives. The average life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome is 60 years, with many living into their sixties and seventies.

What is a mosaic baby?

If five of the 20 are normal (46 chromosomes), while the other 15 have an extra #21 chromosome (47 chromosomes), the baby would be said to have mosaic Down syndrome. Since the percentage of cells with an extra chromosome is 15 out of 20, the baby would be said to have a level of mosaicism at 75 percent.

Can Down syndrome people drink?

Many people with Down's syndrome (DS) experience eating, drinking, and swallowing (EDS) difficulties, which can potentially lead to life-threatening conditions such as malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia.

What is the longest someone has lived with Down syndrome?

According to a number of medical reports, a woman with Down syndrome from Illinois, USA,  known only as Mrs K., died at the age of 83 after developing complications from a broken hip.

Can Down syndrome drink alcohol?

I've had to explain that the individual can of course, drink alcohol and are partial to a glass or two. People just don't understand that we are dealing with independent adults.” And that's really what Down's Syndrome Awareness Month is all about – raising awareness and breaking down barriers.