What you need to know about Down syndrome
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Here is what you need to know about the condition...
Millions of people around the world have Down syndrome. It affects 1 in 800 children.
The genetic disorder can be identified during pregnancy through prenatal screening and diagnostic testing.
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which a person has an extra chromosome. It is also called Trisomy 21, because the child would have developed three (tri) copies of chromosome 21 during pregnancy.
Chromosomes are defined as small packages of genes in the body that determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth.
The genetic disorder is usually associated with physical growth delays and intellectual disability. People who suffer from it have distinct physical features.
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Centers for Disease Control states that 'people with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children'.
Some of the common physical features include:
- The eyes are usually slanted and the upper eyelid of the eye folds down in the inner corner of the eye.
- Short nose and a flattened nasal bridge.
- A short neck and usually shorter in height.
- Small ears, hands, and feet. Some people even have small pinky fingers that curve towards the thumb.
- A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth.
- A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)
- Poor muscle tone or loose joints.
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Health risks
About half of the people with Down syndrome have congenital heart disease.
Blood cancers are also much more common in people with Down syndrome.
According to CDC, people with Down syndrome are also more at risk of developing:
- Hearing loss
- Obstructive sleep apnea, which is a condition where the person’s breathing temporarily stops while asleep
- Ear infections
- Eye diseases
Cure
There is no cure for Down syndrome, however, with support and knowledge, children born with Down syndrome can still grow to thrive in life.
Healthline recommends the following treatment programmes: Physical, speech, and occupational therapies, life skills classes, and educational opportunities.
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