You Can Diagnose Down Syndrome in the Baby Before Birth
Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that occurs in 1.3 of every 1,000 births. For reasons still unknown, an error in cell development takes in 47 chromosomes instead of 46 that are formed normally. The extra gene material slightly changes the regular development of the body and brain. It is one of genetic birth defects more common. It affects all races and all economic levels alike. There is no cure for Down syndrome and it is not possible to prevent it. In no case S.D. can be attributed to something they did or did not do their parents.
What is the difference between children with Down syndrome?
People with S.D. have more similarities than differences with those of regular development. Moreover, there are a variety of personality, learning styles, intelligence, appearance, compliance, humor, compassion, congeniality, and attitude among infants with DS. Physically, a child with Down syndrome may have slanted eyes and ears are small and slightly bent at the top. Your mouth may be small, which makes the tongue appear large. The nose may be small and buried in his brow. Some babies with S.D. have short necks and small hands with short fingers. They are children with exceptional social intelligence.
Special Health Problems
Between 30 and 50 percent of babies with Down syndrome have heart defects. Some defects are minor and can be treated with medication, but there are others for whom surgery is required. All babies with Down syndrome should be examined by a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in heart diseases of children, and be subjected to an echocardiogram during the first 2 months of life to allow the treatment of heart defects they may have.
Between 10 and 12 percent of babies with Down syndrome are born with intestinal malformations that need to be corrected surgically. More than 50 percent have some visual or hearing impairment. Among the most common vision problems include strabismus, myopia, hyperopia and cataracts. Most cases can be treated with glasses, surgery or other methods. You should consult a pediatric ophthalmologist during their first year of life of the child. Children with Down syndrome may have hearing impairment due to the presence of fluid in the middle ear, a nerve defect, or both. All children with Down syndrome should be screened for vision and hearing on a regular basis to allow treatment of any problems and avoid problems in the development of speech and other skills. Children with Down syndrome are more likely to have thyroid problems and leukemia. They also tend to get colds a lot and getting bronchitis and pneumonia. Children with this disorder should receive regular medical care, including vaccinations for children.
They can attend school
In general; children with Down syndrome can do most things that any young child can do, such as talking, walking, dressing, and toilet. However, they usually learn later than other children. Children with S.D. can attend school. Special programs from preschool to help children with Down syndrome develop skills as much as possible. In addition to benefiting from early intervention and special education, many children get fully integrated into classrooms for normal children. The future of these children is much more promising than it used to be. Many of them learn to read and write and participate in various activities of childhood, both at school and in their neighborhoods.
While there are special work programs designed for adults with Down syndrome, many people affected by this disorder is able to work regularly. Today, the number of adults with Down’s syndrome living almost independently in community homes, taking care of themselves, participating in household chores, making friends, taking part in recreational activities and work in their community, is increasing.
Can people with Down syndrome marry?
Some young people with Down syndrome have been married, although this rarely happens. While there have been rare exceptions, men with Down syndrome can not father children. In any pregnancy, a woman with Down syndrome has a 50 percent chance of conceiving a child with Down syndrome, but many pregnancies with affected fetuses are lost naturally.
Who is at greater risk of having a baby with Down syndrome?
Couples who have already had an infant with Down syndrome, mothers or parents whose chromosome 21 has been rearranged and the mothers of more than 35 years of age are at greatest risk. The risk of Down syndrome increases with age, from about one in every 1,250 children for a woman of 25 years of age to one in 952 at age 30, one in 378 at age 35 and one 106 at the age of 40 years. However, at least 70 percent of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 because younger women have far more babies.
Is it possible to diagnose Down syndrome before birth?
Yes prenatal testing by amniocentesis or a newer test called cryonics villus analysis can diagnose Down syndrome or, more frequently, confirming that it is not present. Since both procedures carry a small risk of infection or fetal loss, it usually offered only to women whose chances of having a baby with birth defects or other chromosome are larger than normal. A doctor can suggest the performance of an amniocentesis when a woman gets an abnormal alpha-fetoprotein test (AFP); a blood test is done around the 16th week of pregnancy. This test can detect Down syndrome in about 35 percent of cases. A newer version of this test, which measures the AFP and also the levels of two hormones of pregnancy, can apparently detect the presence of the syndrome in about 60 percent of cases. However, no blood tests used to diagnose conclusively syndrome because it is only preliminary analysis indicates the need for amniocentesis. Overall, the odds of having another baby with Down syndrome in each subsequent pregnancy are 1 percent, plus the mother’s own risk according to age. However, if the first child has translocation Down syndrome, the chances of having another child with Down syndrome increases greatly.
Usually, when you suspect a baby has Down syndrome, the doctor takes a blood sample for analysis of chromosomes (called a karyotype). This analysis is used to determine if the baby has Down syndrome and to identify the corresponding chromosomal abnormality. This information is important in determining the risk to parents in future pregnancies. The doctor may refer parents to a genetics specialist can explain the results of this analysis in detail and indicate what are the risks of a repeat of this phenomenon in another pregnancy.
