Down syndrome indicators in diverse populations

According to a large international study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, physical features vary in patients with Down syndrome across diverse populations. The study, led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, used an objective digital facial analysis technology developed by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System to identify the most relevant facial features characteristic in Down syndrome in diverse populations from 12 countries. This study is the first to compare and contrast Down syndrome across diverse populations. It is the first in a series of studies to be used in the NIH’s Atlas of Human Malformation Syndromes in Diverse Populations, a free resource to help clinicians around the world diagnose birth defects and genetic diseases in people of diverse ancestry, and is the first in a series focused on different genetic syndromes.

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