Background:
What is Down Syndrome? Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra twenty-first chromosome, that causes birth defects of developmental and intellectual delays. The human body is composed of trillions of cells and within the nucleus of each cell are structures called chromosomes (Parks, 2009). About eight million babies are diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the United States with approximately twenty thousand in Western Europe (Parks, 2009). Down Syndrome affects all races and genders, but lower among non-Hispanic black individuals. This syndrome is also lower among females than males. In the early twentieth century, children rarely lived past the age of nine due to the quality …show more content…
Langdon Down was the first to recognize and describe the physical characteristics that the Down’s babies have in common (McClurg, 1986). During the twentieth century, most of the children were placed in institutions. Down set up his own private residential psychiatric facility of intellectual disabilities. Several Down Syndrome children were studied, photographed, and researched about the observations Down obtained at his facility. With the information he gathered, he gave presentations to other medical professionals. He claimed that the children did not resemble their parents or families, but Asian descent, Mongolians, because of their slanted eye (Parks, 2009). Down Syndrome was then later named after him and he also was recognized as the “father” of Down Syndrome (Parks, 2009).
In 1958, Jerome Lejeune, French geneticist, proved that Down Syndrome was caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the genes. To be easily examined and counted, Lejeune developed a way for cells to be displayed on a microscope slide to see the chromosomes. He was the geneticist that named the Trisomy twenty-one which in Latin means three chromosomes. In 1994, at the time of his death, he still did not find answers to how and why Down Syndrome occurs (Parks, …show more content…
Babies to adults with Down Syndrome have an increased risk for several medical conditions throughout their lifetime. Heart defects – mild to severe, respiratory problems, hearing problems, Alzheimer’s disease, Leukemia – ten to fifteen times more likely to develop this cancer of the blood, and thyroid conditions are only a few that can occur during their life (Parks, 2009). People with Down Syndrome are high risks of vision problems, hearing lost, and are vulnerable to infections (Parks, 2009). When a newborn is examined, doctors and nurses can visually spot Down Syndrome signs (McClurg, 1986). You can identify a Down Syndrome individual by their physical traits, a few such as low muscle tone, small stature, upper slant to the eyes, flattened face, protruding tongue, flat bridge of their nose, and short hands with a single line across the palm of the hand. The baby’s head is smaller than an average baby’s head. Though their internal and physical structures are different than the average child, they should not be treated any different. There are many screenings and tests that can be used to determine the risk of the unborn fetus to have Down Syndrome. Although these tests and screenings may not give definite answers of whether your child has Down Syndrome or not, they could cause other harm to the fetus. Miscarriages could result from theses screenings and tests. Culture, society,
What is Down Syndrome? Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra twenty-first chromosome, that causes birth defects of developmental and intellectual delays. The human body is composed of trillions of cells and within the nucleus of each cell are structures called chromosomes (Parks, 2009). About eight million babies are diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the United States with approximately twenty thousand in Western Europe (Parks, 2009). Down Syndrome affects all races and genders, but lower among non-Hispanic black individuals. This syndrome is also lower among females than males. In the early twentieth century, children rarely lived past the age of nine due to the quality …show more content…
Langdon Down was the first to recognize and describe the physical characteristics that the Down’s babies have in common (McClurg, 1986). During the twentieth century, most of the children were placed in institutions. Down set up his own private residential psychiatric facility of intellectual disabilities. Several Down Syndrome children were studied, photographed, and researched about the observations Down obtained at his facility. With the information he gathered, he gave presentations to other medical professionals. He claimed that the children did not resemble their parents or families, but Asian descent, Mongolians, because of their slanted eye (Parks, 2009). Down Syndrome was then later named after him and he also was recognized as the “father” of Down Syndrome (Parks, 2009).
In 1958, Jerome Lejeune, French geneticist, proved that Down Syndrome was caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the genes. To be easily examined and counted, Lejeune developed a way for cells to be displayed on a microscope slide to see the chromosomes. He was the geneticist that named the Trisomy twenty-one which in Latin means three chromosomes. In 1994, at the time of his death, he still did not find answers to how and why Down Syndrome occurs (Parks, …show more content…
Babies to adults with Down Syndrome have an increased risk for several medical conditions throughout their lifetime. Heart defects – mild to severe, respiratory problems, hearing problems, Alzheimer’s disease, Leukemia – ten to fifteen times more likely to develop this cancer of the blood, and thyroid conditions are only a few that can occur during their life (Parks, 2009). People with Down Syndrome are high risks of vision problems, hearing lost, and are vulnerable to infections (Parks, 2009). When a newborn is examined, doctors and nurses can visually spot Down Syndrome signs (McClurg, 1986). You can identify a Down Syndrome individual by their physical traits, a few such as low muscle tone, small stature, upper slant to the eyes, flattened face, protruding tongue, flat bridge of their nose, and short hands with a single line across the palm of the hand. The baby’s head is smaller than an average baby’s head. Though their internal and physical structures are different than the average child, they should not be treated any different. There are many screenings and tests that can be used to determine the risk of the unborn fetus to have Down Syndrome. Although these tests and screenings may not give definite answers of whether your child has Down Syndrome or not, they could cause other harm to the fetus. Miscarriages could result from theses screenings and tests. Culture, society,