Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a lifelong genetic disorder that cases lifelong mental retardation, development delays and other problems. Down syndrome varies in severity, so development problems range from moderate to serious.

Children with down syndrome have a distinct facial appearance. Though not all children have the same features, there are some more common ones. •Flattened facial features•Protruding tongue•Small head•Upward slanting eyes, unusual for the Childs ethnic group

Down syndrome is diagnosed either during or one or two days after pregnancy. Based on the presence of a extra 21 chromosome on a karyotype

prognosis

the average life expectancy for people has increased since, 1929 from 9 years to 50 and beyond and in addition people with down syndrome can now live long and fulfilling lives.

treatment Because down syndrome is a genetic disorder there is no cure however you can manage and control the symptoms for a longer and more joyful life.

current researchDoctors and scientists are hard at work trying to discover new ways to improve understanding and maybe one day find a cure. Recently it has been suggested that younger children with down syndrome may be able to take medication such as amino acid supplement and piracetam to improve cognitive functioning how ever in the U.S. there have been no controlled clinical studies yet.

While most people equate genetic counseling with parental testing there are other reasons that a woman and her partner may want to meet with a genetic counselor prior to or during pregnancy

credits• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov•www.nds.org•Google images • kids health.org•Ndscenter.org