To Laius, King of Thebes, an oracle foretold that the child born to him by his queen Jocasta would slay his father and wed his mother. One of the lesser breed should feel honoured that a member of the holy race that was born to inherit life eternal should deign even to notice him.
Down syndrome survival. The life expectancy of people with Down syndrome increased dramatically between 1960 and 2007. In 1960, on average, persons with Down syndrome lived to be about 10 years old. In 2007, on average, persons with Down syndrome lived to be about 47 years old. [Read summary] Many factors can affect how long a person with Down syndrome lives. Sometimes infants with Down syndrome are born weighing less than 1,500 grams, or about 3.3 pounds.
Although women older than 35 years of age make up less than 15% of all births in the United States each year, about 40% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women in this age group. This likelihood increases as age increases. Following are the rates of Down syndrome for select ages: