This book is dedicated to my best friend who's baby is on its way! I hope this information can be used as an advice and it can help you as a guide through the early years of your child’s life.

This disability happens because a pair of chromosomes fails to separate during egg formation. When that egg unites with a normal sperm to form an embryo, the embryo ends up with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two.

As a woman’s eggs get older, there is a higher risk of the chromosomes dividing incorrectly. Therefore, the risk of down syndrome increases with a woman’s age.

Down syndrome can't be prevented because it is something that is unpredictable. There is no cure for down syndrome, but many people are able to live a productive live well into adulthood.

Screening tests can estimate the chance that your baby may have down syndrome. But they can’t tell you for sure if your baby has it or not.

There are several screening tests that can be done for down syndrome. All these test are measured in the mother’s blood. One of the test done is called combined first trimester test. It’s a blood test that measures the levels of a certain pregnancy hormone and a protein made by the unborn baby and mother, along with an ultrasound. Another test is called the second trimester triple screen. This blood test measures hormone and protein levels along with estriol (a hormone made by the mother and the unborn baby). Another test is called second trimester quad screen: This blood test combines the triple screen with a test that looks at another

hormone made by the placenta called inhibit-A. Another test is called integrated screening. This includes the combined first trimester screen and the second trimester quad screen.

Children with down syndrome usually learn and progress more slowly than most other children. Not all areas of development are affected equally. It can affect their social development, learning with visual support, word reading, motor development, expressive language, grammar and speech clarity, and number skills.