Among the health issues being noted in the month of October is Down syndrome, or trisomy 21. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in physical and mental challenges for the child born with it.
The National Down Syndrome Society says that one out of every 733 babies born in the United States has Down syndrome and there are currently about 400,000 Americans living with it.
Physical problems
Many children with Down syndrome are perfectly healthy, but more often than not, a child with the disorder will have some physical problems. The most common ones are:

Heart defects, ranging from mild to severe
Intestinal …read more

Stumbling upon the post at Womb Within had me reading about Sarah Palin, Down Syndrome and the rumor that the baby is not hers. But this post is not about the Alaskan governor or her family, it’s about Down Syndrome and maternal age.
It is true that a high percentage of children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35 years old (80%, says NDSS) fueling the connection that Palin’s 17-year old could likely be the mother to a baby with downs.