This condition — the plain-language one-pager.

What is Down Syndrome?Diagnosis

Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) is the most common chromosomal condition. Modern care has transformed outcomes — life expectancy ~60 years, with many adults living independent meaningful lives. People with Down syndrome face condition-specific medical surveillance: cardiac, endocrine, GI, hematologic, ENT, ophthalmologic, orthopedic, and Alzheimer disease (near-universal pathology by age 40).

• Lifespan medical surveillance per AAP and DSMIG-USA guidelines.
• Newborn/infancy — echo, TSH, ophthalmology, hearing, hip US.
• Childhood — annual TSH, hemoglobin, hearing, vision, dental, sleep study by age 4.
• Adulthood — continued thyroid, sleep, vision, hearing, weight + CV risk, mental health, gynecologic care.
• Adults 40+ — Alzheimer's risk dominates; routine cognitive baselines.

Use a Down syndrome medical home with the lifespan surveillance planKnow your plan

Specialty surveillance catches treatable problems early. Many academic centers have specialty Down syndrome clinics.

• Find a Down syndrome medical home.
• Carry the AAP DS Health Care Guidelines.
• Sleep study by age 4 + every few years.
• Annual TSH from infancy.
• Cognitive baseline + screening from age 30+.

Your daily Force FieldLive It

• Follow lifespan surveillance schedule (AAP/DSMIG-USA).
• Annual TSH + CBC + CMP, vision + hearing.
• Sleep study + treat OSA.
• Vaccines on schedule.
• Healthy weight + activity + Mediterranean eating.
• Mental health screening.
• Gynecologic and sexual health care.
• Atlantoaxial instability awareness.
• Cognitive screening from age 30+.
• Family + caregiver support: NDSS, GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation.

Red flags — call nowAction

• Call your clinic the same day for: new chest discomfort with exertion that goes away with rest (stable distress worth evaluating); a missed dose of antiplatelet or maintenance therapy; medication side effects (muscle aches, bleeding, GI symptoms).
• Bring up at next visit: any change in exercise tolerance, lipid follow-up timing, BP log review, smoking-cessation support, depression screening, sleep concerns.