[New insights into the support of children with Down syndrome]

The prevalence of Down syndrome (DS) in the Netherlands is 14/10,000 live births; this is almost 1.5 times higher than during the 1980s and 90 s. In the Netherlands the uptake of prenatal screening is lower than in the rest of Europe and the percentage of pregnant women > 36 years has increased. The early diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart abnormalities means that mortality among DS children has fallen. Although their life expectancy has increased greatly, other comorbidities have come to the fore. Wheezing is reported in 1/3 of the children with DS; it seems unrelated to asthma and atopy. The percentage of mothers who start breastfeeding a child with Down syndrome is low (48%), despite the preventive effect on celiac disease and infections and its therapeutic value for speech and language development. Children with DS score lower on quality of life for the domains of lung and stomach problems, motor function and communication. Medical support and screening addressing specific comorbidities (heart, thyroid, lungs, hearing, vision) and special support for cognitive, motor and speech development in children with Down syndrome is worthwhile.