Understanding Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is not a disease as most people make it sounds some times. It is a genetic disorder. I know you would be wondering and eager to know the difference. Well, I am not a doctor but as a Biologist and a Teacher, there are ways we handle issues to avoid discrimination. Most diseases are as a result of human contact with external factors of the environment such as vectors and pathogens. Most of These diseases are contagious and are curable while genetic disorders occur during prenatal stage of development resulting in mental or physical disability which can not be corrected but can be managed with care. While we may be blamed for carelessly exposing ourselves to diseases sometimes, a child with genetic disorder on the other hand can not be blamed for his condition, not even the parents should be blamed for it. Your genes hold the keys to how your body appears and function. They’re behind everything from your complexion to food digestion. So if something goes wrong with them during cell division and differentiation while in your mother’s womb, it can go a long way in determining the outcome of every other phase of your development and life endeavours (Gloria Ogunbor, 2020).
What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is one of the genetic disorder in which individuals are born with an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are bundles of genes, and your body relies on having just the right number of them. With Down syndrome, this extra chromosome leads to a range of issues that affect you both mentally and physically.
Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. Although it can’t be cured, doctors know more about it now than ever. If your child has it, getting the right care early can make a big difference in helping him live a full and meaningful life.
Causes
Normally, each cell in your body has 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair comes from your mother. The other comes from your father.
But with Down syndrome, something goes wrong and you get an extra copy of chromosome 21. That means you have three copies instead of two, which leads to the signs and symptoms of Down syndrome. Doctors aren’t sure why this happens. There’s no link to anything in the environment or anything the parents did or didn’t do. See image below:

findings from some studies states that certain parents have a greater chance of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention, mothers aged 35 and older are more likely to have a baby with Down syndrome than younger mothers. The older the mother is, the higher the probability.
Research also shows that paternal age too has an effect. One 2003 study found that fathers over 40 had twice the chance of having a child with Down syndrome.
Other parents who are more likely to have a child with Down syndrome include:
- people with a family history of Down syndrome
- people who carry the genetic translocation
It’s important to remember that no one of these factors mean that you’ll definitely have a baby with Down syndrome. However, statistically and over a large population, they may increase the chance that you may.
It’s not common, but it is possible to pass Down syndrome from parent to child. Sometimes, a parent has what experts call “translocated” genes. That means some of their genes aren’t in their normal place, perhaps on a different chromosome from where they’d usually be found.
The parent doesn’t have Down syndrome because they have the right number of genes, but their child may have what’s called “translocation Down syndrome.” Not everyone with translocation Down syndrome gets it from their parents — it may also happen by chance.
Types of Down Syndrome
There are three types of Down syndrome:
- Trisomy 21. This is by far the most common type, where every cell in the body has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two.
- Translocation Down syndrome. In this type, each cell has part of an extra chromosome 21, or an entirely extra one. But it’s attached to another chromosome instead of being on its own.
- Mosaic Down syndrome. This is the rarest type, where only some cells have an extra chromosome 21.
You can’t tell what type of Down syndrome someone has just by how they look. The effects of all three types are very similar, but someone with mosaic Down syndrome may not have as many signs and symptoms because fewer cells have the extra chromosome.
found that fathers over 40 had twice the chance of having a child with Down syndrome.
Other parents who are more likely to have a child with Down syndrome include:
- people with a family history of Down syndrome
- people who carry the genetic translocation
It’s important to remember that no one of these factors mean that you’ll definitely have a baby with Down syndrome. However, statistically and over a large population, they may increase the chance that you may.
How do you know someone with Down Syndrome?
Though the likelihood of carrying a baby with Down syndrome can be estimated by screening during pregnancy, you won’t experience any symptoms of carrying a child with Down syndrome.
At birth, babies with Down syndrome usually have certain characteristic signs, including:
- flat facial features
- small head and ears
- short neck
- bulging tongue
- eyes that slant upward
- atypically shaped ears
- poor muscle tone
An infant with Down syndrome can be born an average size, but will develop more slowly than a child without the condition.
People with Down syndrome usually have some degree of developmental disability, but it’s often mild to moderate. Mental and social development delays may mean that the child could have:
- impulsive behavior
- poor judgment
- short attention span
- slow learning capabilities
Medical complications often accompany Down syndrome. These may include:
- Congenital heart defects
- Hearing loss
- poor vision
- Cataracts (clouded eyes)
- hip problems, such as dislocation
- Leukemia
- Chronic constipation
- Sleep apea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
- Dementia (thought and memory problems)
- Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function)
- Obesity
- late tooth growth, causing problems with chewing
- Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
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