Finding out more about…Down syndrome
About 40,000 people living in the UK have Down, affecting about one in 800 babies
Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body’s cells, which determine how the body forms and functions. When babies are growing, the extra chromosome changes how their body and brain develop.
About 40,000 people living in the UK have Down, affecting about one in 800 babies