Downs syndrome
Downs syndrome Causes
This is a congenital disease caused by an extra choromosome present in the child occuring during the early fetal development stages.
Downs syndrome Definition
Down syndrome otherwise known as trisomy 21 is a disorder caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. This disorder was termed as chromosome 21 trisomy in 1959 by J?r?me Lejeune. It is characterized by major and minor structural differences. Down syndrome is always associated with impairments of the cognitive ability and the physical growth. Facial appearance also is different. This disorder can be known even during pregnancy or right at birth.
Downs syndrome Diagnosis
Downs syndrome can be detected even before a child is born. Prenatal screenings are being run to determine if the fetus is normally developing. Tests includes triple screen test, quad screen, AFP or free beta screen, PAPPA screen, and nuchal translucency screen test.
Downs syndrome Symptoms and Signs
People suffering from Down syndrome may have some or even all of the physical characteristics described as follows: eye fissures are oblique with skin folds in the eye's inner corner, they have poor muscle tone, with flat nose bridge, single fold in the palms, tongue that protrudes beacause of small oral cavity and a relatively enlarged tongue espeically near the tonsils area, they have short neck, white spots present on the iris called Brushfield spots, they also have very lax joints which entails atlanto-axial instability, heart defects, very big space between the large toe and the second toe, one furrow (flexion of the fifth finger, with many ulnar loop dermatoglyphs.
Downs syndrome Treatment
People with this disorder are likely to carry it throughout their lifetime, special learning approaches are being introduced to effectively communicate with them. Physical deformities can be corrected through cosmetics.