What Do Down Syndrome Die From?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Approximately 25-30% of patients with Down syndrome die during the first year of life. The most frequent causes of death are

respiratory infections (bronchopneumonia)

and congenital heart disease. The median age at death is in the mid-50s.

Can Down syndrome cause early death?

Results: People with Down syndrome died about 28 years younger than the general population.

Congenital heart anomalies

, comorbidities, low birthweight, and Black and minority ethnicity influenced earlier age of death, as did younger maternal age and poorer parental education.

What is the most common cause of death in Down syndrome?


Heart and lung diseases

are the leading causes of death for persons with Down syndrome. Pneumonia and infectious lung disease, congenital heart defect (CHD) and circulatory disease (vascular diseases not including CHD or ischaemic heart disease) account for ∼75% of all deaths in persons with Down syndrome.

Do Down syndrome have a shorter life span?

Over 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States each year. As recently as 1983, a person with Down syndrome lived to be only 25 years old on average. Today, the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome is

nearly 60 years

and continuing to climb.

What health problems might a person with Down syndrome have?

  • Heart defects. About half the children with Down syndrome are born with some type of congenital heart defect. …
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) defects. …
  • Immune disorders. …
  • Sleep apnea. …
  • Obesity. …
  • Spinal problems. …
  • Leukemia. …
  • Dementia.

What is the lifespan of a person with Down syndrome?

What is the life expectancy for people with Down syndrome? The life expectancy of people with Down syndrome increased dramatically between 1960 and 2007. In 1960, on average, persons with Down syndrome lived to be about 10 years old. In 2007, on average, persons with Down syndrome lived to be

about 47 years old

.

What gender is Down syndrome most common in?

Down syndrome appears to be more common among

boys than girls

, the study indicates. The condition is also seen more frequently in Hispanic children at birth, though the number of these children appears to level off with that of white children as they age. Black children appear less likely to have Down syndrome.

Can you pass away from Down syndrome?


Approximately 25-30% of patients with Down syndrome die during the first year of life

. The most frequent causes of death are respiratory infections (bronchopneumonia) and congenital heart disease. The median age at death is in the mid-50s.

Who is the oldest person with Down syndrome?

He has defied the odds to reach the ripe old age of 78 after medics feared he would never see his teenage years.

Niece Nikki Wright

, 44, from East Leake, who visits him every week, said: “It’s brilliant he is now officially the oldest person in the country with Down’s syndrome.

Can someone with Down syndrome have normal intelligence?

I.Q. scores for people with Down syndrome vary, with the average cognitive delays being mild to moderate, not severe. In fact,

normal intelligence is possible

. If a person with Down syndrome has difficulty with hearing, it can be misinterpreted as a problem with understanding.

Can a Down syndrome child look normal?

People with

Down syndrome all look the same

. There are certain physical characteristics that can occur. People with Down syndrome can have all of them or none. A person with Down syndrome will always look more like his or her close family than someone else with the condition.

Can Down syndrome drive?

A special Olympic gold medallist has become the first person with Down’s Syndrome to pass his driving test in Ireland.

William Loughnane

, 26, from Clooney-Quin, County Clare passed first time after just five lessons. “My dad was my main help.

Does Down syndrome get worse with age?

Adults with Down syndrome experience “accelerated aging,” meaning they

will age faster than the general population

. It is expected that adults with Down syndrome will show physical, medical, and cognitive signs of aging much earlier than what is expected for their age.

Can stress cause Down syndrome?

Down syndrome, which arises from a

chromosome defect

, is likely to have a direct link with the increase in stress levels seen in couples during the time of conception, say Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, who has been studying about the same ever since her daughter was diagnosed with …

What are the behaviors of Down syndrome?

The most common mental health concerns include: general anxiety, repetitive and obsessive-compulsive behaviors;

oppositional, impulsive, and inattentive behaviors

; sleep related difficulties; depression; autism spectrum conditions; and neuropsychological problems characterized by progressive loss of cognitive skills.

At what age does a child with Down syndrome talk?

Typically, these children have a much harder time learning to talk (expressive language) than with understanding what they hear (receptive language). On average, children with Down syndrome start using words

around 16 months of age

—about 6 months later than other children.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.