31 for 21: Down Syndrome Look Alike

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I am participating in a 31 for 21 Blog Hop with a goal of writing a post every day during the month of October.  I was recently in a car accident and it is rather painful to stare at a computer for any length of time.  Therefore, I am cheating a bit here because this post is recycled from last year, but with a few new pictures.


"down syndrome look alike"  is by far one of the most common search terms on my blog so I thought that I would write another blurb about this.

Do people with Down syndrome look a like?

Yes and no.

Yes, in the sense that people with Down syndrome have just that, a syndrome.  With a syndrome comes common physiologic characteristics.  Children with Ds may have all or just a few of these characteristics.  It is why when you look at someone with Ds, you suspect that person has Down syndrome.

Common Physical Characteristics Related to Down Syndrome:

• Almond-shaped eyes 

• Simian Crease aka a single horizontal crease across the palm of the hand

Courtesy of Wikipedia

• Low-set ears
• Shorter femurs and humerus (thigh and arm bones--can be picked up on Ultrasound)
• Small hands and feet
• Small mid-face (i.e. nose, mouth, cheeks)

Small mid-facial features
Isn't she positively gorgeous?  This photo is one of my absolute favorites

• Sandal Gap Toe or Sandal Gap Deformity  (This is also a common search term "sandal gap toe ultrasounds" or "sandal gap deformity down syndrome")

• "Flatten" face (you can see this on their profile)

Flat Face: Look at how her forehead, nose, and chin are almost on the same plane.

No, because each child is a beautifully unique individual who received half her chromosomes from Mama and half from Dad.  As for that extra special chromosome, it came from either mom or dad.  What does that mean?  It means that each child looks like her family members.  I can be hanging out with Ellie at Andrew's work event and his coworkers pass by Ellie and exclaim "yep, that has to be Andrew's kid".  No lie.

Cheeks!!!!!!  Father-Daughter Chipmunk Cheeks!

Look at those chunky cheeks!

Eh, they aren't related . . . are they?

Nope, I cannot see the resemblance at all.

Ack!  They even have the same hairline.

What about me?  Guess which one is me?

I bet you will never guess :-)

Can't tell?  Here is a hint, recognize this facial expression?

How about now?

Left: Anna; Right: Ellie
Just in case you couldn't tell :)

I wonder where she gets her spunk?

There you have it.  Yes, there are common physiological traits among those with Down syndrome, but more than anything, look past those traits and see the actual person.  You will recognize just how much each child is unique and just how much she resembles her mother, her father, her siblings, her grandparents, her cousins.

*original publication date 10/19/11