[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 160 (Thursday, October 29, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING OCTOBER AS DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 29, 2015

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased 
today to recognize October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Down 
syndrome is a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, 
likely a full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This defect causes 
intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities.
  Approximately 1 in 700 babies in the United States are born with Down 
syndrome. Infants with Down syndrome are more likely to have other 
medical issues such as hearing loss, heart defects, and various eye 
diseases. Furthermore, African American infants born with Down syndrome 
have a lower chance of surviving past the first year of life than 
infants with Down syndrome from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
  The economic impacts on the families of those with Down syndrome are 
also staggering. Medical care costs for children in their first four 
years are twelve times higher than the costs associated with a child 
without Down syndrome. Nearly 40 percent of families have suffered a 
financial setback or have forced a family member to stop working 
because of the child's condition.
  Progress has been made in some areas that impact individuals with 
Down syndrome. The life expectancy for individuals with this disability 
has greatly increased. The 21st Century Cures Act, a bipartisan bill 
that passed the House of Representatives earlier this session, provides 
additional funding to the National Institute of Health for medical 
research that one day may move the needle of innovation in research and 
treatment forward enough to improve the lives of individuals with Down 
syndrome.
  I am pleased to recognize the 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome 
and the families who have sacrificed so that these individuals can live 
their lives to the fullest.

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