Down's Syndrome - Prognosis

The prognosis in Down's syndrome is quite variable. It depends on the other disorders that occur in each individual case. A child with heart defects, for example, is more likely to have serious problems in the future than one with hearing loss. About 90 percent of all Down's syndrome children with no heart problems reach their teens.

People with Down's syndrome usually go through the same physical changes of aging as other people. But those changes take place more rapidly. The average age of death for a person with Down's syndrome is about fifty to fifty-five years.

The prognosis for a baby born with Down's syndrome is better now than ever before. Antibiotics are now available to treat many kinds of infections that would once have killed a child. Community and family support allow people with Down's syndrome to live more normal lives. Down's syndrome people are often able to get an education and hold jobs.

Men with Down's syndrome appear to be uniformly sterile. That is, they are unable to have children. Women with Down's syndrome, however, are usually able to have babies. About half of these babies will also be born with Down's syndrome.