News Details
21 March: International Day of Down Syndrome or Trisomy 21
Updated : 21/03/2022
It was created by Down Syndrome International and obtained official recognition by the United Nations.
Down syndrome or Trisomy 21 is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra allele on chromosome 21.
It is characterized by a delay in physical and mental development and by changes in body and facial structure.
In Portugal, statistics tell us that one in eight hundred babies is born with trisomy 21.
It is believed that there are about fifteen thousand people with this syndrome in the country.
Today, their average life expectancy is close to that of the general population.
There are several Portuguese Associations linked to Trisomy 21, namely APPT21, Pais 21 and APATRIS.