What is Down Syndrome?
Down Syndrome is a genetic disease that cause disorders such as mental retardation. This syndrome was named after John Langdon Down the first person to identify the syndrome. Down Syndrome is the most common genetic disease. It is found in one in every 800 babies. There is no cure for Down Syndrome but there are ways to increase the understanding of the disease. Even though Down Syndrome is a life-long disease, if given the proper treatment, most people grow to live healthy and productive lives.
Genes and Down Syndrome
Did you know that when you get Down Syndrome you receive an extra chromosome 21? Did you know that people with Down Syndrome can live a healthy and productive life if they are given the proper treatment?
What causes Down Syndrome?
Human beings normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes. In each pair, one chromosome comes from your father and one from your mother. When people receive Down Syndrome from their parents, they receive an extra chromosome 21. They end up with three copies of a twenty-first chromosome instead of two copies.
How can Down Syndrome be prevented?
There is no prevention for Down Syndrome. If you already have at least one child with Down Syndrome or you are at risk of having a child with Down Syndrome, you may want to see a genetic counselor before becoming pregnant.
What symptoms occur with Down Syndrome?
Many symptoms occur with down syndrome. Some include flattened facial features, a large tongue, a small head, upward slanting eyes, and unusually shaped ears. Other symptoms could possibly include weak muscles, wide, short hands with a single crease in the palm, short fingers, extreme flexibility, and mental retardation.
Is there treatment for Down Syndrome?
There is no medical cure for Down Syndrome. Children with Down Syndrome can benefit from learning about the disease. There are doctors and psychologists who can help teach children about it.
How do you diagnose Down Syndrome?
When a child is born, the parents can request a screening to see if their child has Down Syndrome. You can also have a screening during the pregnancy. However, the test puts you at high risk for a miscarriage.
This shows the three abnormal chromosomes that you receive when you have Down Syndrome.
Down Syndrome is found in one in every 800 babies.
FAST FACT
