Down syndrome epidemiology and demographics

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Epidemiology and Demographics

Prevalence

• Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality.
• Almost 10,000 children are born with Down syndrome in the United States each year (one in 691 live births; prevalence of 100.3 per 100,000)

Maternal age

• Birth rates are highest among mothers of advanced maternal age however 80% of all children with Down syndrome are born to mothers younger than 35 years.

Geographic distribution

Maternal age influences the chances of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome. At maternal age 20 to 24, the probability is 1/1490; at age 40 the probability is 1/60, and at age 49 the probability is 1/11. Although the probability increases with maternal age, 80% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under the age of 35, reflecting the overall fertility of that age group. Recent data also suggest that paternal age also increases the risk of Down Syndrome manifesting in pregnancies in older mothers.