It was a British doctor named John Langdon Down who for the first time in the year 1866 explained a genetic defect in human beings resulting in delayed physical and cognitive development termed after him as Down syndrome. Subsequently, Jerome Lejeune, a French doctor detected the cause of the disorder as the trisomy of the 21st chromosome in 1959.

This condition is genetic and, therefore, cannot be communicated or treated. Reports suggest the occurrence ratio of this abnormality to be 1: 800 births, with the probability increasing proportionally with the increase in maternal age. With the progress in medical science, Down syndrome can be detected in the prenatal phase itself though various screenings and tests involving ultrasound, expanded AFP screening, chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis and nuchal translucency screening.

There was a time when the expected life term of an individual with Down syndrome was only about 9 years. However, medical science today has increased the life expectancy of those suffering from this disorder to about fifty years to sixty years. Many fetal deaths within the uterus are connected to Down syndrome with the life expectancy ranging from a few weeks to months. Risk of mortality is extremely high amongst infants born with this defect especially in the first year itself. Apart from the fundamental problem of slow physical growth and mental retardation; this disorder comes with many other medical problems that further reduce the life expectancy. Some of these include heart defects, eye and ear problems, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal disorders and even leukemia. Owing to all these associated health issues, the first year of life becomes most crucial for infants with Down syndrome. If they can survive through this phase, then they definitely live longer with parental support, understanding and care.

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