Down Syndrome Effects: Developmental Delay
Children with Down syndrome may be developmentally delayed. A child with
Down syndrome is often slow to turn over, sit, stand, and respond. This may be related to the child's poor muscle tone. Development of speech and language abilities may take longer than expected and may not occur as fully as parents would like. However, children with Down syndrome do develop the communication skills they need.
Down Syndrome Effects: Mental Retardation
Most people with Down syndrome have IQs that fall in the mild to moderate range of mental retardation. Some are so mildly affected that they live independently and are gainfully employed.
Down Syndrome Effects: Alzheimer's Disease
Premature aging is a characteristic of
adults with Down syndrome. In addition, other Down syndrome effects in adults include
dementia or memory loss and impaired judgment, similar to that occurring in patients with
Alzheimer's disease. This condition often occurs when the person is younger than 40 years old. The risk for
Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome is estimated to be three to five times greater than in the general population.
Down Syndrome Effects: Summary
The doctor making the initial
Down syndrome diagnosis has no way of knowing the intellectual or physical capabilities a child may have. Children and adults with Down syndrome have a wide range of abilities. A person with Down syndrome may be quite healthy, or he or she may present unusual and demanding medical and social problems at virtually every stage of life. Every person with Down syndrome is a unique individual, and not all people with the condition will develop all the medical disorders discussed.
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