Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21, is the single most common genetic cause of moderate mental retardation. It occurs in about one of every eight hundred live births. It is caused by the inheritance of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The condition was named after an English physician, J. Langdon Down, who in 1866 published the first report describing patients with similar facial features and mental retardation. The chromosomal basis of Down syndrome was not determined until nearly a century later.

Clinical Features

Down syndrome is associated with a characteristic physical appearance, mental retardation, and specific birth defects or health conditions. The facial features, in addition to low muscle tone (called hypotonia), are often the first signs that alert a physician to a potential diagnosis of Down syndrome. These features include an up-slant of the outer corners of the eyes, small skin folds over the inner corners of...