Babies with Down syndrome take center stage in the US abortion fight

 

But today, thanks to medical advances and better integration into society, many individuals with Down syndrome live long, productive and happy lives. The average life span among people with Down syndrome has more than doubled from 25 years in 1983 to about 60 years, Whitten said. And while most have a mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment, there is wide variation in their abilities, and more and more are living independently, going to college, holding challenging jobs and getting married. . . 

 

Whitten said that one of the biggest challenges people with the condition face is a precipitous drop in research funding over the years from the National Institutes of Health, a decline that, she said, makes Down syndrome the most poorly funded major genetic condition in the United States. . .

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