Down Syndrome Symptoms

Infants born with DS may have some or all of the following physical characteristics:

• Muscle hypotonia, low muscle tone
• Flat facial features, a somewhat depressed nasal bridge and a small nose
• Upward slanted eyes, small skin folds on the inner corner of the eyes
• Short neck
• Misshaped ears
• White spots on the colored part of the eye
• Single skin crease in the palm of the hand
• Excess flexibility in joints
• Heart defects
• Sight and hearing problems
• Large and protruding tongue
• Fifth finger has one flexion furrow instead of two
• Excessive space between large and second toe

The degree of medical problems and mental retardation varies. Talents, abilities, and pace of development differ. People with DS may be born with or develop:

• Vision problems
• Hearing Loss
• Heart defects
• Increased incidence of acute leukemia
• Frequent ear infections and increased susceptibility to infection in general
• Gastrointestinal obstruction (imperforate anus and similar problems)
• Esophageal atresia or duodenal atresia
• Sleep problems (eg, blocked airways during sleep, daytime sleepiness, sleep anxiety, sleep walking)
• Increased incidence of Dementia in older ages
• Instability of the back bones at the top of the neck, can result in compression injury of the spinal cord
• Urinary system defects
• High Blood Pressure in the lungs
• Seizure Disorder
• An under-active thyroid ( Hypothyroidism )
• Slow growth
• Late to sit, walk, toilet train
• Speech problems
• Overweight
• Emotional problems
• Risk that others assume that a child is more retarded than he or she is

Most of these health problems are treatable. The majority of people born with DS today have a life expectancy of approximately 55 years.