The Problem Of Down Syndrome

In the past, Down syndrome had been considered one of the most devastating disabilities. There were people who believed that it this disability was a death sentence, and how aborting these children was actually a service. They believed that life would be so horrible for someone with down syndrome that it’s best to terminate the pregnancy. This condition can be seen in utero because it is a genetic disorder, and there is a mutation within the genetic code. This can be seen in-utero, and is one of the reasons people check on their child in the womb. There was nothing that could be done for these children, and that is why many believed that termination was the best option.

The article “Down Syndrome” reviewed by Dr. Mary Gavin, thoroughly explains the causes, affects and diagnosis of the condition. This genetic condition involves the individual gaining an extra chromosome, ending up with 47 instead of 46. A person with Down syndrome facial and bodily features will be distinctly unique, making it easy to characterize them from others. Consistent medical attention is crucial for a child with the condition, even if the child appears to have no significant health concerns. With out proper care, the child could develop pulmonary hypertension, worsened vision and hearing, seizures, asthma, infections etc. Prenatal screening

Down Syndrome was discovered in 1866 by a British physician named John Langdon Down, which is where the name Down Syndrome came from. This genetic disorder was first referred to as Mongolism. The name Down Syndrome did not start being used until the early 1970s. In 1959, a French Pediatrician/Geneticist Professor Jerome Lejeune had discovered that people with this disorder have one extra chromosome. In the 1960s when children with Down Syndrome were born, they were put into institutions right after birth. Families were told that they would not be able to raise their child because of all of the extra attention they would need. Throughout the years, we have learned a lot more about this genetic disorder. ("National Association for Down Syndrome | History of NADS", 2016)

(Heward, 2013) Additionally, Down Syndrome, one of the most known biological conditions associated with Intellectual Disabilities, accounts for five to six percent of all cases of ID. (Heward, 2013) The early detection and diagnosis of Down Syndrome has greatly improved over the past fifty to a hundred years. The invention of new medical technology throughout these years is key in helping families become prepared for a life with a child with Down Syndrome. Thus, families can use the coming months to educate themselves on what Down Syndrome really is and how they can help their child exceed expectations. Down Syndrome effects the cognitive, physical and social characteristics of an individual in a variety of ways. Additionally, the way someone with Down Syndrome is affected changes from person to person and from task to task. To dwell deeper, “Children and adults with Down Syndrome have greater difficulty with motor tasks that involve speech and language, while they sometimes display superior performance for activities that require visual-motor skill.” (Bunn, Roy, Elliott, 2007, pg. 247) The affects Down Syndrome has on cognitive motor skills is very prevalent in the earlier years of a student. Children with Down Syndrome show a weakened ability to do simple tasks such as read, write, problems pertaining,

Until the mid-twentieth century, Down Syndrome was considered a mysterious genetic condition that not many scientists or common people could understand or accurately describe. More specifically, members of the society realized that people with Down Syndrome were different — but they could not distinguish or diagnosticate the characteristics or the causes of the condition. Although that is true, scientists and doctors like Jérôme Lejeune, Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol, and Édouard Séguin had investigated and recognized certain indicative attributes of those with Down Syndrome. However, none of them composed a fully descriptive study that corresponded with the lives of a majority of Down Syndrome patients. In due time, (1866) British doctor John Langdon Down presented a comprehensive, widely acclaimed, and unrefuted portraiture of what Down Syndrome truly resembles.

Down syndrome is a congenital chromosomal disorder during maternal meiosis. This is one of the most common chromosomal disease that has been confirmed (Epstein, 2013). Down syndrome causes some symptoms in children’s physical and mental aspects, which have significant differences with other people. It may cause the life of the child is abnormal and cannot live independently in the future. With the increased population of children with Down syndrome in Australia, it becomes prominent that they strongly impact on their family and society in both positive and negative ways. This article will introduce some basic information about Down syndrome, discuss its early intervention and ethical issues of having a baby with Down syndrome, and result in coming up with views in regards to terminating or continuing with the pregnancy of a foetus diagnosed with Down syndrome.

There are three forms of Down Syndrome. These three are Trisomy 21, Mosaicism, and Translocation. Trisomy 21 is where there is an extra copy of Chromosome 21 in every cell. Mosaicism is where only some of the child’s cells have an extra copy of Chromosome 21. Translocation is where only one of the 46 total chromosomes has an extra Chromosome 21 where part of Chromosome 21 gets attacked to another chromosome during the formation eggs and sperm, or early in the development of the fetus. Mosaicism and Translocation usually have less symptoms that Trisomy 21. Only translocation Down Syndrome can be inherited by an unaffected parent. Trisomy 21 is because of an abnormality in the reproductive cells, and mosaic Down Syndrome is just a random event that occurs early in fetal development. A baby receives 23 chromosomes from each parent, but with a Down Syndrome child, they receive extra chromosomes. When the Chromosome 21 is supposed to split into two chromosomes, the chromosome does not separate properly and they get three Chromosome 21. So as the brain and physical features develop, problems occur. Down Syndrome affects 1 in 800 newborns. Each year in the United States, 5,300 babies with Down Syndrome are born, and 250,000 people have this condition in

It is a common belief that certain things will never happen to us. We often convince ourselves that the odds will never reach us or the ones we love. This statement remains true for the likelihood of the effects of down syndrome. Although the syndrome is often misunderstood, it is very true that those affected by it lead a very active and healthy life. I, myself am guilty of the social ignorance of down syndrome, that is until my cousin Joby was diagnosed with down syndrome. Over the past two years I have watched my cousin blossom into an outstanding curious child with a passion like no other. Down syndrome is classified in several different forms such as the causes, diagnosis, and how it affects one’s life .

Down syndrome is a disorder in which an individual gets a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Normally, at the time of conception a baby inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father, but in most cases of Down syndrome a child gets an extra chromosome 21 for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. The three types of Down syndrome are trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), translocation and mosaicism. According to the National Down Syndrome Society (2012), “One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with down syndrome, making down syndrome the most common genetic condition. Approximately 400,000 Americans have Down syndrome and about 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States each year.” Down syndrome causes intellectual disability, developmental delays, and a distinct facial appearance such as a small head, a flattened face especially the bridge of the nose, an almond-shaped eyes that slant up, a short neck, small ears, a tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth, tiny white spots on the iris of the eye, small hands and feet, a single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease), poor muscle tone or loose joints, and shorter in height as children and adults.

In 1980, Sue Buckley and Gillian Bird were prompted to begin investigating the reading skills of children with Down’s Syndrome after receiving a letter. The letter was from a parent of a daughter with Down’s Syndrome that was able to learn to read at the age of three. This discovery led Buckley and Bird to design an experiment centered on this hypothesis: “pre-school children with Down’s Syndrome could learn to read and reading might be a ‘way-in’ to language for these children,” Down’s Syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs when an additional full or partial copy of chromosome 21 is present in an individual. This disorder causes both developmental as well as cognitive delays.

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by a third duplicate of chromosome 21. Down syndrome was first recognized as a distinct condition in 1866 by John Langdon Down, after whom the disease is named. Until 1970, the disorder was known as Mongolism and only recently become accepted as “down” syndrome. In 1959, French geneticist Professor Jerome Jejune discovered an extra chromosome to be the cause for the physical and intellectual abnormalities seen in individuals with DS. (Kazemi, Shojaei, & Sadighi, 2016). Down syndrome affects approximately one in every 1200 babies that are born, making it the most common genetic disorder. (Jobling, Virji- Babuls, & Nichols, 2006).

Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition related to chromosome 21. Down syndrome is a defect in the chromosomes causing intellectual impairment. Down syndrome is a very serious and sad disease but some people have said that it has brought more love into their home.

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes learning disabilities. It’s caused when abnormal cell division results in more genetic material from chromosome 21. This genetic disorder is very common or most occurring. Down Syndrome might cause some health problems. Down Syndrome has only one name and it is Trisomy 21.

What is Down Syndrome? Down syndrome is where an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. (NDSS) Also, every cell in the body contains genes that are grounded along chromosomes in the cell's nucleus. Continuing forward, there are a normally 46 chromosomes in each cell 23 inherited from the mother and 23 from the father. (Medical News Today). In addition, 80 percent of the babies born with Down Syndrome are born to women under 35 (NDSS). In conclusion, this is what Down Syndrome is and how it develops.

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.