What are the causes of Down Syndrome?
The causes of Down syndrome are genetic problems related to chromosome 21. While Down syndrome is genetic in that it involves an extra chromosome 21, it is not usually hereditary in the conventional sense. That is, Down syndrome is not inherited; it does not “run in families.” Down syndrome is usually the result of a random event that occurs during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm). One exception is Down syndrome caused by a balanced translocation (see below).
