Down Syndrome Births Increase by One-Third

December 2, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: Baby Health, News, Pregnancy

The number of babies born with Down Syndrome is up one-third in the U.S. population over the past three decades, according to new information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The chromosomal disorder known as Down Syndrome affects approximately 1 in 800 births in the United States.

The genetic condition occurs when an embryo carries three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two copies.

The December issue of Pediatrics reports that the statistics have increased from 9.0 infants born with Down syndrome per 10,000 live births in 1979, to 11.8 per 10,000 in 2003. Those stats covered 10 U.S. states, diverse in geographical location, ethnicity and cultural factors. Those states included Arkansas, Georgia, California, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

The findings of this first broad, population-based effort to study Down Syndrome prevalence in the United States have important implications.

Researchers believe that one reason for the spike is that women are waiting longer to have kids. The prevalence of Down syndrome among births to women who are 35 years of age and older is five times higher than women under that age.

The new information also shows that Down syndrome prevalence was consistently higher among males than females, regardless of race, ethnicity, or age group. The prevalance at birth was also consistently higher among non-Hispanic whites than among non-Hispanic blacks.

The regions covered 29% of all live U.S. births in 2002. In the years from 1999 to 2003 alone, the data covered more than 5.5 million live births, of which 6,580 involved Down Syndrome.

A major implication is the increased need for education of pregnant women concerning Down Syndrome and the education and support needed for families with Down Syndrome children. These families face major health conditions, including congenital heart defects, as Down Syndrome children progress to adulthood.