Down Syndrome Resources | UC Davis MIND Institute

Down syndrome is a condition in which a baby is born with an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms during pregnancy and how, as the baby grows in the womb and after birth, the baby’s body functions. Normally, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes. This extra copy changes the body’s and brain’s normal development and causes mental and physical problems for the baby.

Even though people with Down syndrome might have some physical and mental features in common, symptoms of Down syndrome can range from mild to severe. Usually, mental development and physical development are slower in people with Down syndrome than in those without it.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Down Syndrome Education USA
• Down Syndrome Information Alliance
• Global Down Syndrome Foundation
• MedlinePlus
• National Association for Down Syndrome
• National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Down Syndrome Resources
• National Down Syndrome Congress
• National Down Syndrome Society

The websites and resources listed are independent of the UC Davis MIND Institute and Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. We do our best to choose sites and resources which reflect inclusion of people with neurodevelopmental disabilities and people with varying identities and positionalities, however, some older material may contain language that is not preferred or is not appropriate so please review with caution. Resources are provided for information only and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of the UC Davis MIND Institute and Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.