Down syndrome affects 1 in every 691 births, a condition sometimes called trisomy 21, where a child inherits an extra copy of chromosome 21. Children born with Down syndrome have distinctive features such as: weak muscle tone, a small mouth held partially open because it is not big enough to accommodate for the tongue, and distinguishing eyelids. More serious deficiencies comprise of low resistance to infectious diseases, heart abnormalities, and fluctuating levels of mental retardation, in most cases severe. Information on Down syndrome, including signs, symptoms, and diagnosis; genetic information such as a detailed description on trisomy 21, and translocation; an expanded and comprehensive history on Down syndrome; modern-day individuals
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An English physician later described trisomy 21 in 1866 by the name of John Langdon Down who defined a person with Down syndrome a “mongoloid” since their facial features are similar to that of the Mongols. Ten years later, “An initial association between ‘premature senility’ and Down syndrome is made by researchers” (“History of Down Syndrome”). In 1929, the lifespan of a child with Down syndrome was 9 years. In 1946, the lifespan of a child with trisomy 21 was changed to 12 years. A big discovery happened in 1959, a French physician and activist for those with mental debilities, Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered that, “Being a ‘mongoloid’ is the result of a chromosomal abnormality—three copies of chromosome 21 (instead of two). The term Trisomy 21 starts to gain usage in the medical community to describe people with the condition” (“History of Down Syndrome”). Three years later, researcher discovered a type of Trisomy 21 entitled Mosaicism. In the 1970s, the life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome was only twenty-five years. In 1994, two lifelong friends with Down syndrome printed a book about living with such a condition and disproved myths. Mitchell Levitz spoke about life at an early age with Down syndrome, “’I’m glad my parents made the tough decisions when I was young. People didn’t think that we were capable… We can learn. We can make (the same) choices as everyone else” (Aig 4A), until populaces heard the about the lives of Mitchell Levitz and Jason Kingsley, Down syndrome was a very unknown condition, and many people thought that other individuals with this
An English physician later described trisomy 21 in 1866 by the name of John Langdon Down who defined a person with Down syndrome a “mongoloid” since their facial features are similar to that of the Mongols. Ten years later, “An initial association between ‘premature senility’ and Down syndrome is made by researchers” (“History of Down Syndrome”). In 1929, the lifespan of a child with Down syndrome was 9 years. In 1946, the lifespan of a child with trisomy 21 was changed to 12 years. A big discovery happened in 1959, a French physician and activist for those with mental debilities, Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered that, “Being a ‘mongoloid’ is the result of a chromosomal abnormality—three copies of chromosome 21 (instead of two). The term Trisomy 21 starts to gain usage in the medical community to describe people with the condition” (“History of Down Syndrome”). Three years later, researcher discovered a type of Trisomy 21 entitled Mosaicism. In the 1970s, the life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome was only twenty-five years. In 1994, two lifelong friends with Down syndrome printed a book about living with such a condition and disproved myths. Mitchell Levitz spoke about life at an early age with Down syndrome, “’I’m glad my parents made the tough decisions when I was young. People didn’t think that we were capable… We can learn. We can make (the same) choices as everyone else” (Aig 4A), until populaces heard the about the lives of Mitchell Levitz and Jason Kingsley, Down syndrome was a very unknown condition, and many people thought that other individuals with this