Is there a connection between a Down syndrome child and narcissistic parents or siblings?

Answer 1

Strictly speaking, no. Down's syndrome is a genetic abnormality, which has, as far as is currently known, no hereditary features. Down's Syndrome most often occurs in the babies of women giving birth over the age of 35, and it is thought that the genetic syndrome is due to the breakdown of the genetic material in the ova of women as they age.

Pathological Narcissism (as distinguished from ordinary, or healthy narcissism) or Narcissistic Personality Disorder is not currently seen or proven to have any genetic component whatever. The current thinking is that pathological narcissism is a developmental disorder contributed to by neglectful or conversely, over-attentive parenting which lacks both genuine intimacy and realistic or accurate feedback for the child.

The only 'connection' that might be seen (and it's a stretch) --- is that if a pair of parents who both met sufficient criteria to be officially diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder were to bring up a Down's Syndrome child, they might perceive having such a child as extremely shameful, ignoring or neglecting, or even belittling to abusing the child. Conversely, depending on the peer group of the parents, they might perceive that having such a child could be a source of admiration from others -- they could see and present the child as being "Extra Special" and themselves as grandiosely noble for dedicating themselves to the upbringing of a Down's Syndrome Child. In either case, the child would likely suffer from such parenting in some way.

In this hypothetical situation, siblings would conceivably suffer as well: either from being 'tarred with the same brush" and ignored or belittled in the same way as the Downs Syndrome Child in the first instance; or being utterly ignored for being 'not special enough' in the second.