The CDC defines Down Syndrome as follows: Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21.
Down Syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder, characterized as a learning disability. Children with Down Syndrome are often slower to speak, with IQs in the mildly to moderately low range. In the United States, 1 in 700 babies are born with Down Syndrome, up from the 1990’s where the figure was closer to 1 in 1000. Down Syndrome is the most common chromosome disorder in America. Individuals with Down Syndrome share similar physical characteristics, though the degree of which varies by person. Some of these characteristics include: (Source: CDC)
Aside from shared physical characteristics, individuals with Down Syndrome are prone to and often have other health problems including:
Women who are pregnant over the age of 35 are more likely to have a child born with Down Syndrome, though a majority of babies born with Down Syndrome are to younger mothers simply because there are more births among younger women. Down Syndrome is often diagnosed prenatally using one of three methods:
Though there is no cure for Down Syndrome, most children can live healthy, and near to normal lives depending on severity. Speech, occupational, and physical therapy, as well as early intervention programs, and specific programs or extra attention in school are shown to help children with Down Syndrome to develop to their full potential, and lead happy lives.
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