Down syndrome is the name for a set of problems caused by extra genetic material present at the time of conception (when a sperm first fertilizes an egg). This is due to some genetic material failing to separate at a crucial point in the process, resulting in the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. No one knows why this happens. It tends to happen more often as the mother is closer to the end of her child-bearing years, but it happens in young mothers as well.
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21. The risk for Down syndrome is higher in babies of mothers older than 35, who are more likely to have abnormal eggs that may lead to the condition. Common symptoms include problems in growth, hearing, vision and immunity, along with problems of the thyroid, heart, muscles and nerves. The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person.
Recently Answered
-
4 AnswersA
See All 4 AnswersDown syndrome is an abnormality of the chromosomes and the most common cause of mental retardation among infants. Down syndrome is characterized by certain medical problems such as congenital heart defects. There is a range of severity of Down syndrome, ranging from those with mild disability to severe.
-
1 AnswerA
National Down Syndrome Society answeredA few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes and a single deep crease across the center of the palm -- although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.
This content originally appeared on the National Down Syndrome Society website. -
2 AnswersA
See All 2 AnswersThe likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome is about 1 in 700. The risk is higher if the mother is over 35, and gets higher with increasing maternal age.
-
1 AnswerA
National Down Syndrome Society answeredStudents with Down syndrome are included in typical academic classrooms in schools across the country. The current trend in education is for full inclusion in social and educational settings. Sometimes students with Down syndrome are included in specific courses, while in other situations students are fully included in the typical classroom for all subjects. Increasingly, individuals with Down syndrome graduate from high school with diplomas, and participate in postsecondary academic and college programs.
This content originally appeared on the National Down Syndrome Society website. -
1 AnswerA
Joan Guthrie Medlen , Nutrition & Dietetics, answeredBy being a good parent.
Being a parent of a child with Down syndrome is just that: being a parent. There are some things you can do to help you along the way, though.
- Connect with a local support group.
- Talk with other parents of children with Down syndrome.
- Check out www.ds-health.com for some great health information.
- When you're at www.ds-health.com, download the Down syndrome health care guidelines.
- Find a pediatrician you can talk to. It's going to be important that you have a partner on your journey you are comfortable with!
- Remember your other children - you are a family!
There are some excellent resources to guide you. Consider "Babies with Down Syndrome, a New Parents' Guide," from Woodbine House. It is a well-written and lovingly compiled set of information for parents of newborns.
Another great book is "Welcome to Holland" which tells a parents journey of the first years of parenthood in a thoughtful and caring way.
Most important, your child will lead you. Just as your other children lead you to what they need to be successful, so will your child with Down syndrome.
It's a great journey. It's rich and full of trials and tribulations. It's colorful and full of joy, too. I'm 22 years into the journey with a child who has Down syndrome and autism along with celiac disease. He and his brother have taught me how to apply the research and parenting skills so they work for them.
-
1 AnswerA
Joan Guthrie Medlen , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered
This is a very broad question and varies with each child. Not with each age, but with each child! The most important message is this: feed your children the same way you feed your other children.
Rather than tell you exactly how many calories your child needs in a day, I will give you some guidelines.
Here’s what we know:
Children with Down syndrome need fewer calories each day than children who do not. Research tells us that people with Down syndrome of all ages burn about 10-15% fewer calories when at rest than people without Down syndrome. That means your child needs 10% fewer calories to sleep than a person of the same height, weight, and age.
What we do not know is whether or not people with Down syndrome burn more or fewer calories when they do the same activity as we do!
So really we don’t know much.
We do know that kids with Down syndrome need a bit less.
How much less? It’s not that much.
For example, the difference in calories between two 25 year old women of the exact same height and weight is about 150 calories. That’s one medium sized apple.
Eating an extra medium sized apple every day for a year adds up to 54,750 calories. Eating an extra 150 calories every day for a full year means a weight gain of 16#.
A good guide for how many calories a person with Down syndrome should eat a day is this: the same amount as a person without Down syndrome, minus 2 bites per serving.
This means that every bite counts! It’s important to get the most nutrition bang from a “food buck.” What I mean is this: choose high nutrition foods for your meals and snacks.
What is a high nutrition food?
A high nutrition food is one that has many vitamins and minerals for every calorie. Some examples are fresh fruits and vegetables and 100% juices. Milk is another high nutrition food.
A low nutrition food is one that has few vitamins and minerals for every calorie. Some examples are chips, cookies, candy, and soda. One of the biggest culprits of empty calories for young people today is high fructose corn syrup. It is used in soda, flavored drinks, and candy.
Your goal, as a parent, is to provide meals that your child enjoys that are full of nutrition value. Easier said than done!
There are many ideas of ways to do this in my book, The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Healthy Lifestyles, available through amazon.com or my website. You can find other ideas on my website, www.DownSyndromeNutrition.com.
-
2 AnswersA
See All 2 AnswersThe risk of having a baby with Down syndrome increases as the maternal age increases. The risk increases significantly after the age of 35. However, as most women are having children earlier than 35 years of age, most cases of Down syndrome are to mothers younger than 35 simply because so many women are pregant at younger ages.
-
1 AnswerA
National Down Syndrome Society answeredThere are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), translocation and mosaicism.
- Trisomy 21 (nondisjunction): Down syndrome is usually caused by an error in cell division called "nondisjunction." Nondisjunction results in an embryo with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. Prior to or at conception, a pair of 21st chromosomes in either the sperm or the egg fails to separate. As the embryo develops, the extra chromosome is replicated in every cell of the body. This type of Down syndrome, which accounts for 95 percent of cases, is called trisomy 21.
- Translocation: In translocation, which accounts for about four percent of cases of Down syndrome, the total number of chromosomes in the cells remains 46; however, an additional full or partial copy of chromosome 21 attaches to another chromosome, usually chromosome 14. The presence of the extra full or partial chromosome 21 causes the characteristics of Down syndrome.
- Mosaicism: Also called mosaic Down syndrome, mosaicism is diagnosed when there is a mixture of two types of cells, some containing the usual 46 chromosomes and some containing 47. Those cells with 47 chromosomes contain an extra chromosome 21. Mosaicism is the least common form of Down syndrome and accounts for only about one percent of all cases of Down syndrome. Research has indicated that individuals with mosaicism may have fewer characteristics of Down syndrome than those with other types of Down syndrome. However, broad generalizations are not possible due to the wide range of abilities people with Down syndrome possess.
-
2 AnswersA
National Down Syndrome Society answeredSee All 2 AnswersOnce a woman has given birth to a baby with trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) or translocation -- two of the three types of Down syndrome -- it is estimated that her chances of having another baby with trisomy 21 is one in 100 up until age 40.
The risk of recurrence of translocation is about three percent if the father is the carrier and 10 to 15 percent if the mother is the carrier. Genetic counseling can determine the origin of translocation.
This content originally appeared on the National Down Syndrome Society website.