What are the symptoms of Down’s syndrome?

In most cases, the most obvious symptoms are the differences in physical appearance between people with Down’s syndrome and those without the condition. People with Down’s syndrome often have particular features, which are common to the condition; some people may have lots of the features, while others may only have a couple. Common physical features include:

• Smaller ears
• A flat back of the head; the back of the head doesn’t become rounded
• A flatter nose
• Eyes that slant in an upwards direction
• Smaller mouth
• A tongue which protrudes more than usual
• Short fingers and stocky hands
• White dots on the iris of the eyes (these are commonly known as Brushfield spots)
• Floppy, looser joints (especially in babies)
• Lower birth weight
• Lack of muscle tone (also known as hypotonia)

Other common symptoms of Down’s syndrome include developmental and learning difficulties, which are outlined further below: