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Early death and causes of death of people with Down syndrome: A systematic review
Author(s) -
O'Leary Lisa,
HughesMcCormack Laura,
Dunn Kirsty,
Cooper SallyAnn
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12446
Subject(s) - down syndrome , ethnic group , population , medicine , intellectual disability , pediatrics , demography , cause of death , mortality rate , inclusion (mineral) , gerontology , psychology , psychiatry , environmental health , disease , social psychology , sociology , anthropology
Background It is thought that people with Down syndrome die younger than the general population, but that survival rates are improving. Methods Five databases were searched for keywords related to intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome and mortality. Strict inclusion criteria were applied. Information from 34 selected studies was tabulated, extracted and synthesized. Results People with Down syndrome died about 28 years younger than the general population. Congenital heart anomalies, comorbidities, low birthweight, and Black and minority ethnicity influenced earlier age of death, as did younger maternal age and poorer parental education. Congenital heart anomalies and respiratory conditions were the leading causes of death, and more common than in the general population. Survival rates have improved over time, particularly for those with congenital heart anomalies. Conclusions People with Down syndrome are living longer but still die younger of different causes than the general population. More robust comparative data are needed, and ethnic differences require further study.