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.
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that includes a combination of birth defects. Persons with Down syndrome have some degree of mental retardation and characteristic facial features. Often, heart defects and other problems are present. It is one of the most common genetic birth defects, affecting approximately 1 in 800 babies. Chromosomes are the structures in cells that contain the genes. Down syndrome is caused by extra genetic material from chromosome 21. Affected persons have two normal copies of number 21 chromosomes, plus extra chromosome number 21 material attached to another chromosome.