Estimation of the number of people with Down syndrome in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PURPOSE: We estimate the live births and overall population with Down syndrome (DS) in Latin America and the Caribbean from 1950 to 2020. This study adds to previous work from the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

METHODS

We used a validated model, adjusted for the region, to estimate live birth prevalence, population prevalence, and life expectancy of people with DS, utilizing data from the UN World Population Prospects and other sources.

RESULTS

We estimate 18,655 (95% CI: 18,387-18,923) annual live births of children with DS (2016-2020) in Latin America and the Caribbean (18.4 per 10,000 live births, 95% CI: 18.2-18.7). The estimated total population of people with DS was 574,092 (95% CI: 572,607-575,577) in 2020 (8.8 per 10,000 inhabitants, 95% CI: 8.78-8.83). Mean life expectancy increased from 10 years in 1950 to 48 years in 2020.

CONCLUSION

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the overall population of people with DS is still growing significantly. This is due to sharply increasing survival rates for children with DS in recent decades, combined with relatively few selective abortions in this region.