Older Women Having Babies Essay

Jane O'Brien: Chromosomes are tiny, threadlike structures inside most cells of every organism, or living thing. Chromosomes carry information about the organism in units called genes. Each chromosome is made up of DNA tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support its structure.Down Syndrome is an autosomal genetic disorder.. Down Syndrome Is caused by having an extra copy of Chromosome 21, so instead of 2 copies, you have 3. This is an autosomal disorder and is not sex-linked. This usually occurs due to abnormal cell division when they egg and the sperm meet during fertilization.

Trisomy 21, also known as nondisjunction, means that there is an extra copy of chromosome 21 in the cell and is the most common. Translocation occurs when there are two 21 chromosomes plus an extra piece of chromosome 21 that had attached itself to another chromosome during the division process. Those who have mosaic down syndrome contain an extra chromosome 21 in only some of their cells while others are unaffected. People with mosaic down syndrome tend to have milder physical features and intellectual abilities than those who have trisomy 21 and translocation down syndrome. According to Mark Selikowitz, maternal age is a significant factor in causing trisomy 21. When females are born, all the eggs that a woman will produce are already present. The eggs wait years, some longer than others to be released and it is during the wait period (some 20-40 years) that it is believed errors can occur. On the contrary, man’s sperm does not remain standing therefore less probability for error. Additionally, people with a family history of down syndrome and people who carry the genetic translocation are factors to consider whether the child would be at

C. Down Syndrome is a common birth defect where an extra chromosome is given causing further health problems.

The increased risk of Down syndrome in 40 year old women is believed to be caused by errors which can crop up in the eggs’ genetic material as they age (Down-Syndrome Screening: A One-parent test for a Two-parent; The Atlantic 2017). Normally, there are 46 chromosomes in a cell; 23 from the egg and the

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that numerous individuals around the world suffer from; it is an intellectual disability that is caused by having one too many chromosome 21 copies, trisomy 21. The average person has two copies of chromosome 21 in each cell, whereas, an individual with Down syndrome has an extra copy of chromosome 21. This happens when either the sperm or egg cell undergoes atypical cell division during development. In the United States, there are approximately 400,000 individuals who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome, according to the last census in 2012 (National Down Syndrome Society).

"I just don't know what it could be, her symptoms are coming on so fast." Miller

Children are our future; our future scientists, doctors, teachers, president and so much more. It is hard not to notice the number of young parents nowadays that have children. the average age range for mothers giving birth is 20-34. With the current up rise of babies being born to young mothers, I could not help but think about how age plays a factor into birth effects. Down syndrome is the most common single cause of human birth defects. The most common form of Down syndrome is known as trisomy 21, a genetic condition where individuals have 47 chromosomes in each cell instead of 46. Trisomy 21 is caused by an error in cell division called nondisjunction, which leaves a sperm or egg cell with an extra copy of chromosome 21 before or at conception.

The aetiology of Downs syndrome which means the cause of a specific disease (Mcferran, 2014). Suggests that when one of the chromosomes in reproduction do not separate properly this is when Down’s Syndrome is caused (Steven, 2005). This extra chromosome causes physical developmental defects this causes reduced muscle tone, a small mouth with a projecting tongue and eyes that slant downwards and upwards and causing the back of their head to be flat. Many babies born with Down's Syndrome are diagnosed with the condition after birth and are likely to have many physical defects for example they may have reduced muscle tone, eyes that slant upwards and outwards, a small mouth with a protruding tongue and a flat back of the head. (Hartley, 2015). Down Syndrome patients can also be afflicted with other conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and leukemia (WHO, 2010). This could effect children and adults through out their life also effecting their physical and mental health.

The preposition of cells seems to exhibit the severity of trisomy. The age of the parents seems to increase the contributing aspect to Down syndrome. Women thirty-five and older have given birth to sixteen percent of babies, which over half were born with Down syndrome. Expects have conducted different experiments to try and explain this, the first being the “older egg” hypothesis. With age the ova either changes due to time or for the reason of increased exposure to potentially hazardous biological and environmental conditions (p89). During ovulation the egg cells being released in later childbearing aged women are more susceptible to chromosomal errors as most are undergoing the last stages of meiosis. Other expects have a hypothesis of the “relaxed selection”, which shows older mothers, contrary to younger mothers, are less likely to unconsciously terminate the fetus with trisomy 21 chromosomes. Another view is egg cells with the extra chromosomes are less likely to be selected but as the women ages more egg cells with extra chromosomes are present and there are more to choose from. The age of the father can also be a

proceeded to say, “Are you pregnant? Do you need help?” The doctor laughed as she

known risk factor is advanced maternal age-at age 35, a woman has 1 chance in

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. There are three genetic variations that cause Down syndrome: Trisomy 21, Mosaic Trisomy 21 or Translocation Trisomy 21. There are many ways in which theses disorders affect the body.  Trisomy 21 occurs when an egg or sperm comes in with an extra copy of chromosome 21, then, once an embryo is formed and starts to develop, the chromosome is replicated in every single cell of the embryo. Trisomy 21 is the most common type of Down syndrome. About 92% of Down syndrome patients have this type. People with Trisomy usually have physical problems.

When the sperm cells from the father and the egg cells from the mother are formed, they both undergo a reduction of their total number of chromosome from forty-six to twenty-three. This process is called meiosis (which contain one-half of the chromosome number found in the original cell before division) when a baby is conceived by the combination of one sperm cell with one egg cell, the baby receives twenty-three chromosomes from each parent for a total of forty-six chromosomes. Occasionally, an error occurs in the reduction process instead of passing on twenty-three

Birth of a child can be such a happy time, especially when the little one is very healthy. We all have seen the movies when a new child is born, some of us are lucky to see it first hand. Some of us do get goose bumps, me being one of them. It is just so exciting to see that little life come out of what has been in that big belly for nine months. We sometimes refer to the birth of a child as labor. If only it was as easy as the name sounds. However, it is not. There are three main stages in birth. The first stage is the longest stage that can last 12 to 14 hours with the first birth, and later births are shorter. Dilation and effacement of the cervix take place here. That is when the uterine contractions gradually become more frequent and

A chromosomal disorder is caused by an abundance or reduction of genes on the chromosomes. This type of disorder may also be caused by structural changes within these chromosomes; this is known as an aneuploidy (Porth, 2015). The most common chromosomal disorder is Down syndrome of which there are three types: complete trisomy 21, translocation, and mosaicism (Porth, 2015). Since its first identification in 1866, researchers have become more knowledgeable about the etiology of Down syndrome. When one studies etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations of Down syndrome, he or she will begin to understand multiple chromosomal disorders.