Down syndrome explained
People with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome in their genetic makeup. They also have common physical characteristics, including reduced intelligence and eyes with an upward and outward slant. The three forms of Down syndrome are Standard ... [... more]
Better Health |
Down syndrome - the school experience
School is a big step for a child with Down syndrome, who may go to a mainstream school. This will develop the skills to live and work in the community. Your child may also attend playgroups, preschools or kinder and childcare. Like all children, ... [... more]
Better Health |
Pregnancy tests - chorionic villus sampling
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a pregnancy test that checks the baby for genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome. A small sample of the placenta is taken via needle and examined in a laboratory. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a ... [... more]
Better Health |
Down syndrome and health
Children with Down syndrome have specific health problems. About half of children with Down syndrome are born with a heart problem. Babies with Down syndrome are more prone to gastrointestinal tract problems, and colds and other infections. ... [... more]
Better Health |
Down syndrome and your family
Parents react differently when first told their baby has Down syndrome. It is normal to feel shocked, angry or disappointed. In time, you will find that you enjoy your child. Children with Down syndrome have the same physical and emotional needs ... [... more]
Better Health |
Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
The connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease is complex. Studies of the brains of people with Down syndrome reveal that, by the age of 40, almost all develop the brain changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Not every ... [... more]
Better Health |
What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome affects people of all ages, races and economic levels. It is one of the most frequently occurring chromosomal anomalies found in humans, occurring once in approximately every 660 babies born throughout the world, male and female ... [... more]
NineMSN Health |
Down Syndrome - Resources
There are a number of agencies within South Australia that provide programs and assistance for young people and adults with Down Syndrome, as well as for their families. [... more]
Child & Youth Health |
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is named after Dr John Langdon Down who first identified the syndrome in 1866. Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 inside each of the body's cells. The extra chromosome causes certain physical characteristics ... [... more]
Child & Youth Health |
What can I say and do?
People with Down syndrome are becoming much more visible in our community. For a whole generation (since the early 1970s), children born with Down syndrome have grown up at home with their families. Families know that belonging in the community ... [... more]
NineMSN Health |
Some facts about Down Syndrome
People with Down syndrome live with intellectual disability and communication challenges every day - but they have a lot to say. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to act around people with Down, so here are ten things they tell us it is ... [... more]
NineMSN Health |
My son has Down syndrome
When a child is diagnosed with Down syndrome, the parents' first reaction is nearly always one of shock, and then one of great sadness. But the reality of living with Down syndrome can be quite different, as our interview with Jill O'Connor - the ... [... more]
NineMSN Health |
