Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition in the United States. One in every 691 babies in the U.S. is born with Down syndrome and there are an estimated 400,000 Americans who have Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is associated with a variety of physical, intellectual and health issues including distinctive facial features, heart defects and learning and behavior challenges.

Children with Down syndrome are often born with a combined vision and hearing loss. It is estimated approximately 60-70% of children with Down syndrome have vision impairments. Eye conditions associated with Down syndrome include nystagmus (involuntary eye movement), strabismus (crossed eyes), farsightedness, nearsightedness, congenital cataracts, keratoconus (the cornea becomes cone shaped over time) and conditions like blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid) and conjunctivitis. All of these conditions can be treated medically, and with education modifications and low vision adaptations can be extremely helpful.

In addition, it is estimated 75% of children with Down syndrome have hearing loss. Most often the loss is a conductive hearing loss where sound is unable to move through the outer ear into the inner ear due to a blockage most often caused by otitis media (middle ear infection). The effects of persistent or recurrent middle ear infections are noted in hearing loss, speech delays and comprehension. There is also the possibility of sensorineural hearing loss in Down syndrome due to damage to the sensitive hair cells in the cochlea or the auditory nerve. This hearing loss is permanent and cannot be treated.