{DS Tidbit}

31 for 21 blog challenge day 18

• The incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother. But due to higher fertility rates in younger women, 80% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.

I found this statistic to be interesting.  I always thought that if you were older your chances of having a child with Down syndrome were significantly high.  But such is not the case.  I find it interesting because a lot of young mothers are having children with Down syndrome.  Which makes this statistic seem likely.  Because so many young mom's are having children at a young age,  the percentage of is higher because there are more young mom's having babies than older women.  By the time some women decide to have kids, they are 40 and they only have one child.  Many young women decide to start having kids in their 20's and by the time they are 35 they could easily be on their 5th plus kid, putting them at a higher risk. 

• People with Down syndrome have an increased risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions. Many of these conditions are now treatable, so most people with Down syndrome lead healthy lives.

Finn has been blessed, and for the most part is healthy.  We are so blessed to live in a time and in a place where medical technology is available to us.  I had a lady visit the other day.  She saw that Finn was on oxygen, and I mentioned to her that it's kind of a pain.  And she simply said, "Yes, it is a pain, BUT how lucky you/we are to be able to put our kids on oxygen."  She proceeded to tell me that her Doctor had returned from a trip to Haiti? and how sad it was that some of the babies just needed to be put on oxygen, but it wasn't available to them.  Many of them didn't make it through the nights.  I am lucky.  And very grateful that Finn is able to get the treatments he needs.

• Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today.

We live in a great day and age.  I couldn't ask for more but more time.  And if Finn is as sweet at the age of 60 as he is now, I'll keep him as long as I can.