title: Medical issues among children and teenagers with Down syndrome in Hong Kong.
abstract: We examined the prevalence of medical problems in children and teenagers with Down syndrome in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with Down syndrome receiving care from seven regional hospitals were included and their hospital records were reviewed. A total of 407 patients, aged between 0.06 and 17.16 years were included. Cardiovascular problems were observed in 216 (53%), endocrine problems in 111 (27%), gastrointestinal problems in 46 (11%), haematological problems in 18 (4%), neurological problems in 27 (7%), sleep problems in 36 (9%), skeletal problems in 56 (14%), visual problems in 195 (48%) and auditory problems in 137 (34%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of medical problems was high in children and teenagers with Down syndrome in Hong Kong and similar to previous findings elsewhere. Future studies on the local prevalence of medical problems in the adult population with Down syndrome would help to define their medical needs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. wklyam@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Winnie Ka-Ling
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.forename: Philomena Wan Ting
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Chak Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Chun Bong
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Wai Man
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: But
authors.forename: Kit Yu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lai Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eva Lai Wah
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Pauline Pui Yee
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Joseph Tak Fai
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult