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Down Syndrome

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Down Syndrome
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Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a set of physical and mental traits caused by a gene problem that happens before birth. Children who have Down syndrome tend to have certain features, such as a flat face and a short neck. They also have some degree of intellectual disability. This varies from person to person. But in most cases it is mild to moderate.


Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. But with care and support, children who have Down syndrome can grow up to have healthy, happy, productive lives.

Down syndrome is caused by a problem with a baby's chromosomes. Normally, a person has 46 chromosomes. But most people with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes. In rare cases, other chromosome problems cause Down syndrome. Having extra or abnormal chromosomes changes the way the brain and body develop.

Experts don't know the exact cause, but some things increase the chance that you'll have a baby with Down syndrome. These things are called risk factors.

Your risk of having a baby with Down syndrome is higher if:

You are older when you get pregnant. Many doctors believe that the risk increases for women age 35 and older.
You have a brother or sister who has Down syndrome.
You had another baby with Down syndrome.
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The baby with Down syndrome has a hallmark appearance. However, every aspect of the appearance does not need to be present as the phenotype, the way the genes make the child look, can be markedly different for each patient.

Commonly, there is a small head and short neck, a flat face, and upward slanting eyes. Ears are flat and positioned lower than “normal.” The tongue protrudes and seems to be too large for the mouth. Hands tend to be wide, with short fingers and there is just a single flexion crease in the palm. Joints tend to be more flexible and muscles may lack tone.

The patient may have growth retardation and though as a baby may be normal size, will not grow as tall. Average height for an adult male with Down syndrome is 5 ft 1 in and for a female it is 4 ft 9 in. Bowleggedness is common. Obesity occurs with aging.

There is decreased mental function and the IQ may range from mild disability (50 to 70) to moderate (35 to 50). For patients with Mosaic Down Syndrome, the IQ can be 10 to 30 points higher. There can be language development delay both from hearing impairment and speech delay. Gross motor skills like crawling and walking can be slow to mature and fine motor skills may take time to develop.
There’s no cure for Down syndrome, but there’s a wide variety of support and educational programs that can help both people with the condition and their families. The NDSS is just one place to look for programs nationwide.

Available programs start with interventions in infancy. Federal law requires that states offer therapy programs for qualifying families. In these programs, special education teachers and therapists will help your child learn:

sensory skills
social skills
self-help skills
motor skills
language and cognitive abilities
Children with Down syndrome often meet age-related milestones. However, they may learn more slowly than other children.

School is an important part of the life of a child with Down syndrome, regardless of intellectual ability. Public and private schools support people with Down syndrome and their families with integrated classrooms and special education opportunities. Schooling allows valuable socialization and helps students with Down syndrome build important life skills.
https://www.webmd.com
https://www.medicinenet.com
Down Syndrome

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