Last Updated (Monday, 20 July 2009 12:44)

What kind of information can be provided through genetic counseling?

Parents who have a child with Down syndrome have an increased risk of having another child with Down syndrome in future pregnancies. It is estimated that the risk of having another child with Down syndrome is about one in 100 in trisomy 21 and mosaicism.

If, however, the child has translocation Down syndrome and if one of the parents is a translocation carrier, then the risk of recurrence increases markedly. The actual risk depends on the type of translocation and whether the translocation is carried by the father or the mother.