Day 20: Number of Orphans with Down Syndrome Internationally

Down Syndrome Awareness Month - Day 20

Internationally, how many children with Down syndrome are in orphanages?

In Central and Eastern European countries (excluding Russia), there are more than 1.5 MILLION children who have been placed in "public care". Since we know that statistically, Down syndrome occurs in roughly 1 in every 700 pregnancies, it is estimated that over 2,100 of these children have Down syndrome. Yes, some families try to keep their child born with Down syndrome but that is the rare exception, rather than the rule. Some of these 2,100 children do not survive because of serious medical complications, some because of a lack of medical attention, lack of food, or a lack of love.

In Russia, there are over 700,000 children waiting for families, meaning there are at least 1,000 children with Down syndrome waiting for families.

In Asia (China, Hong Kong, Korea, and India), there are at least 3.5 million orphans, which equates to about 5,000 children with Down syndrome living in orphanages.

In total, that's an estimated 8,100 children with Down syndrome who live in orphanages!