--- title: "32 Facts About Down Syndrome" url: https://www.kickassfacts.com/down-syndrome-facts/ date: 2017-07-03 modified: 2017-07-03 lang: en author: "jazz" description: "Here are 32 Down Syndrome facts. 1-5 Down Syndrome Facts 1. The average life expectancy for those with Down Syndrome has gone from 12 years in 1912 to 25 years..." categories: - "Fact List" - "Health" image: https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Down-Syndrome.jpg word_count: 929 --- # 32 Facts About Down Syndrome Here are 32 Down Syndrome facts. ## 1-5 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kid.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kid.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org 1. The average life expectancy for those with Down Syndrome has gone from 12 years in 1912 to 25 years in the 1980's, to upwards of 60 years in the developed world today. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome) 2. When nonpregnant people are asked if they would have a termination if their fetus tested positive for Down Syndrome 23–33% said yes. When women who screened positive are asked, 89–97% say yes. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#Abortion_rates) 3. The Millenium Bug resulted in 154 incorrect Down Syndrome results being sent to pregnant mothers; two abortions took place. - [Source](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/sep/14/martinwainwright) 4. There's a restaurant owned by a person with Down Syndrome that offers Breakfast, Lunch, and Hugs. - [Source](https://videosift.com/video/Tims-Place-The-Worlds-Happiest-Restuarant) 5. In 1965, The World Health Organisation stopped calling Down Syndrome "mongoloids" due to a delegate from Mongolia. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_idiocy) ## 6-10 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/girl-with-down-syndrome.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/girl-with-down-syndrome.jpg) 6. Parents of Down Syndrome children are less likely to [divorce](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-facts-about-marriage-and-divorce/). - [Source](http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=6087) 7. Women with Down syndrome are fertile whereas men with Down syndrome have traditionally been considered sterile; however, there have been two documented cases of adult men with Down syndrome fathering children. - [Source](http://www.ds-health.com/faq.htm) 8. There are identical twins where only one has Down Syndrome. - [Source](http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-twins-down-syndrome-genetics-20140416-story.html) 9. The oldest confirmed case of Down Syndrome was found from the skeleton of a child in Medieval France 1500 years ago. - [Source](https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25848-oldest-case-of-downs-syndrome-from-medieval-france/#.U7fpC7GmVxU) 10. Nearly all people with Down Syndrome exhibit Alzheimer's Disease by age 40, due to the fact that they have an extra copy of the gene responsible for forming the plaques that lead to the disease. - [Source](https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-people-down-syndrome) ## 11-15 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Boy_with_Down_Syndrome.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Boy_with_Down_Syndrome.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org 11. Down's Syndrome, Downs Syndrome, and Down Syndrome are all correct ways of spelling. - [Source](http://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/Preferred-Language-Guide/) 12. Because of inbreeding, there is a tiger with Down syndrome named Kenny. - [Source](http://www.pbh2.com/wtf/meet-kenny-an-inbred-white-tiger/) 13. Down Syndrome is heading for extinction in [Denmark](https://www.kickassfacts.com/denmark-facts/). - [Source](http://cphpost.dk/news/down-syndrome-heading-for-extinction-in-denmark.html) 14. A [football](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-and-interesting-facts-about-footballsoccer/) team made up entirely of kids with Down Syndrome were training together since 2015 but never had any opponents. Irish international football star James Mclean set up a team to play the kids in their first match. - [Source](https://www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/football/legend-james-mcclean-takes-syndrome-team-no-one-play-118665) 15. Sujeet Desai is an accomplished musician born with Down Syndrome. Sujeet plays seven instruments and graduated from high School with honors from the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in Massachusetts. He travels worldwide to do inspirational solo [music](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-and-interesting-facts-about-music/) performances and self-advocacy workshops. - [Source](http://www.candomusos.com/profile-sujeet-desai.php) ## 16-20 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Joey_Moss.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Joey_Moss.jpg)Image credit: en.m.wikipedia.org 16. The Edmonton Oilers have employed Joey Moss, a man with Down Syndrome since 1986 as a member of the support staff. - [Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Moss) 17. In a study of people with Down Syndrome, 99% of those surveyed indicated that they were happy with their life. - [Source](http://www.lifenews.com/2013/10/18/99-of-people-with-down-syndrome-happy-with-their-lives-dont-abort-them/) 18. There is a Dutch soap [opera](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-amazing-opera-facts/) where the actors all have Down Syndrome. - [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qh3x39WV4I) 19. Judith Scott, institutionalized for 35 years, had no education, was deaf and mute, and had Down Syndrome; when her twin sister took her home and enrolled her in an art studio, Judith became a renowned artist whose work the art world agrees is “superb.” - [Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/opinion/an-artist-who-wrapped-and-bound-her-work-and-then-broke-free.html) 20. The World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on 21st March. - [Source](https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/) ## 21-25 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Olmec_Figurine_holding_infant_Met.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Olmec_Figurine_holding_infant_Met.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org 21. In some Mesoamerican cultures, persons who were born with Down Syndrome were seen as divine because of the similarity they had to the Werejaguar, who was a deity. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werejaguar#Genetic_defects) 22. There was a journal article published in 2006 which discusses the similarities between 'Oriental populations' and people with Down Syndrome, using such evidence as the way both groups like to sit and the fact they like to eat MSG and have almond-shaped eyes. - [Source](http://www.badscience.net/wp-content/uploads/down-syndrome.pdf) 23. Born with Down Syndrome, Shoko Kanazawa began to brush calligraphy at five years old. When she was just 24 years old, her work was displayed alongside the famous Wind God & Thunder God exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum. She quickly became one of the most respected calligraphy artists in [Japan](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-kickass-interesting-facts-about-japan-part1/). - [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtEOwfHMelk&feature=youtu.be) 24. Parents in [Iceland](https://www.kickassfacts.com/40-amazing-iceland-facts/) terminated 100% of pregnancies when Down Syndrome was diagnosed. - [Source](https://downpride.com/appeal-to-the-united-nations/) 25. In 1968, Joseph Fletcher wrote an article for the Atlantic Monthly encouraging parents to keep their Down Syndrome children either secluded or kill them altogether, saying it wasn't a crime as they were not people. - [Source](http://www.downsyndromeprenataltesting.com/a-review-of-andrew-solomons-new-book-far-from-what-tree/) ## 26-30 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Simian_crease2.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Simian_crease2.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org 26. 90 percent of adults have two horizontal creases on their palms and having a single crease on both hands (5 percent of people) is seen as a possible indicator of Down Syndrome. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transverse_palmar_crease) 27. There is a condition called "Mosaic Down Syndrome" that results in the person having a mixture of affected and non-affected cells in their body. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_of_Down_syndrome#Mosaicism) 28. There's an organization whose mission is to preserve Down Syndrome in our society and who view abortion due to fetal abnormality as 'discriminatory'. - [Source](http://www.savingdownsyndrome.org/) 29. A parent kept her child's Mosaic Down Syndrome a secret from everyone - teachers, neighbors, classmates, and even the boy until he was 14. - [Source](https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/366/transcript) 30. A man with Down syndrome was accepted to serve in the Israeli Army. - [Source](http://www.specialolympics.org/Regions/europe-eurasia/News-and-Stories/Press-Releases/Down-Syndrome-Man-to-Serve-in-the-Israeli-Army.aspx) ## 31-32 Down Syndrome Facts [![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/down-syndrome-girl.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/down-syndrome-girl.jpg) 31. People with Down Syndrome almost never get Diabetic Retinopathy. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_retinopathy#Risk_factors) 32. The actor that played a kid with Down syndrome in Australian comedy "Summer Heights High" by Chris Lilley, has Down Syndrome himself. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Alsabbagh)