Do Older Women Have Babies With Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which there is an extra total or partial chromosome 21. For most people with Down syndrome, this anomaly causes a host of distinctive concrete characteristics likewise as potential health and medical problems. The exception are those who accept the relatively rare form of Down syndrome called mosaic Down syndrome, in which not all cells accept an extra chromosome 21. A person with this type of Down syndrome may have all the features of total trisomy 21, a few of them, or none at all.

Many characteristics of full trisomy 21 are quite noticeable—a round face and upturned eyes, and a curt, stocky build, for example. People with Down syndrome sometimes move awkwardly, ordinarily due to low muscle tone (hypotonia) at birth that can interfere with concrete evolution.

Down syndrome too is associated with developmental delays and intellectual challenges, though information technology's important to remember that the extent of these varies widely.

Technically speaking, parents and doctors look for signs of Downwards syndrome, rather than symptoms. These may exist seen once a child is born or, in some cases, in utero.

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Physical Characteristics

The first indication a child might have Down syndrome can appear during routine prenatal testing. In a maternal blood examination called the quadruple screen, elevated levels of certain substances tin can exist a cerise flag for Down syndrome just exercise non mean a baby definitely has the disorder.

Visible Signs

On an ultrasound (an image of a developing fetus, also called a sonogram), visible signs a infant may have Downwardly syndrome include:

Excess pare in the back of the neck (nuchal translucency)
A shorter-than-normal femur (thigh) bone
A missing olfactory organ bone

These signs prompt health providers to recommend an amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling (CVS), both prenatal tests that examine cells taken from the amniotic fluid or the placenta, respectively and that tin confirm a diagnosis of Down's syndrome. Some parents opt for these tests, while others do not.

Features

People with Down syndrome share a host of recognizable facial and concrete features. These are most apparent at nativity and tin go more pronounced with time. The obvious characteristics of Down's syndrome include:

A round face with a apartment profile and small nose and mouth
A big tongue that may beetle from the rima oris
Almond-shaped eyes with peel that covers the inner centre (epicanthus folds)
White flecks in the colored part of the eyes (Brushfield spots)
Minor ears
A small-scale caput that'southward somewhat flat in the back (brachycephaly)
Short cervix
Clinodactyly: A unmarried crease across the palm of each hand (normally in that location are ii), brusk stubby fingers, and a pinky finger that curves inward
Small feet with a larger than normal space between the big and second toes
Brusque, stocky build: At birth, children with Down syndrome usually are average size, but tend to grow at a slower rate and remain smaller than other kids their age. It'due south also common for people with Downward syndrome to be overweight.
Low muscle tone: Infants with Down syndrome often appear "floppy" due to a condition called hypotonia. Though hypotonia can and oft does better with age and physical therapy, nearly children with Down syndrome typically achieve developmental milestones—sitting upward, crawling, and walking—later than other kids. Low muscle tone may contribute to feeding problems and motor delays. Toddlers and older kids may have delays in spoken language and in learning skills such every bit feeding, dressing, and toilet training.

Downwards Syndrome Physician Discussion Guide

Become our printable guide for your side by side doctor's appointment to help yous inquire the right questions.

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Intellect and Evolution

All people with Down syndrome have some degree of intellectual disability or developmental delay, which means they tend to learn slowly and may struggle with complex reasoning and judgment.

In that location's a common misconception that children with Downwardly syndrome have predetermined limits in their power to larn, only this is entirely false. It's impossible to predict the caste to which a baby born with Down's syndrome will be intellectually disadvantaged.

According to the international advocacy system Down syndrome Education (DSE), related challenges tin be bucketed as follows:

Slow development of motor skills:Delays in reaching milestones that allow a child to move about, walk, and employ their easily and mouth tin can lower their opportunities to explore and learn about the world, which in plow tin affect cognitive development and bear on the language skills development.
Expressive linguistic communication, grammer, and speech clarity:Because of delays in developing language comprehension, most children with Down syndrome are deadening to master correct judgement structure and grammar, according to the DSE. They're likewise likely to accept bug with speaking clearly, fifty-fifty when they know exactly what they're trying to say. This can be frustrating and sometimes pb to beliefs problems. It can even cause a kid's cognitive abilities to be underestimated.
Number skills:Near children with Down syndrome find it harder to main number skills than reading skills. In fact, the DSE says that the old are typically around two years behind the latter.
Exact short-term retention:Short-term memory is the immediate memory organization that hangs on to just-learned information for brusk periods of time. It supports all learning and cerebral activity and has divide components for processing visual or verbal data. Kids who have Down syndrome aren't as able to hold and process information that comes to them verbally every bit they are to recollect what's presented to them visually. This can put them at a special disadvantage in classrooms where most new info is taught through spoken language.

What is sure is that people with Down's syndrome have the potential to learn throughout their lifetimes and that their potential can be maximized through early intervention, good instruction, loftier expectations, and encouragement from family, caregivers, and teachers. Children with Down syndrome tin and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different stride.

Psychological Characteristics

People with Down syndrome oftentimes are regarded equally particularly happy, sociable, and approachable. While in general, this may be true, information technology's important to not stereotype them, fifty-fifty when information technology comes to labeling them with such positive characteristics.

People who have Down's syndrome experience a full range of emotions and have their own characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and styles—just like anyone else.

There are some behaviors associated with Down syndrome that are largely due to the unique challenges the condition presents. For example, most people with Down syndrome tend to demand club and routine when dealing with the complexities of daily life. They thrive on routine and will frequently insist on sameness. This can be interpreted as innate stubbornness, only that's rarely what'south going on.

Some other behavior often seen in people with Down syndrome is cocky-talk—something everyone does sometimes. It's idea that people with Downwardly syndrome frequently use self-talk as a way of processing data and thinking things through.

Complications

As you tin can come across, it's difficult to divide out some of the signs of Downwards syndrome from its potential complications. Keep in mind, though, that while many of the above issues pose undeniable concern, others simply nautical chart a course for an individual that is out of "the norm." Individuals with Down syndrome and their families embrace all of this in their ain ways.

That said, people with Downwardly syndrome are more likely than otherwise healthy people to have sure physical and mental wellness issues. Care throughout ane's life can be complicated by these additional concerns.

Hearing Loss and Ear Infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, upward to 75 percentage of children with Downwards syndrome volition have some form of hearing loss. In many cases, this may be considering of abnormalities in the bones of the inner ear.

Information technology'south of import to observe hearing bug as early on as possible, since beingness unable to hear well tin can exist a factor in speech and language delays.

Children with Down's syndrome are also at an increased risk of ear infections. Chronic ear infections tin contribute to hearing loss.

Problems with Vision or Eye Health

As many as 60 percent of children with Down syndrome will have some type of vision problem, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, crossed eyes, cataracts, or blocked tear ducts, according to the CDC. One-half will demand to wear glasses.

Infections

The National Institutes of Wellness (NIH) states, "Down syndrome ofttimes causes issues in the immune system that tin can brand it difficult for the trunk to fight off infections." Infants with the disorder have a 62 percent college rate of pneumonia in the start year of life than practice other new babies, for case.

Obstructive Slumber Apnea

The National Down syndrome Order (NSDD) reports that there is a fifty to 100% chance that a person with Downwardly syndrome volition develop this sleep disorder, in which animate stops temporarily during sleep. The condition is particularly common in Down syndrome because of physical anomalies such every bit low muscle tone in the mouth and upper airway, narrow air passages, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and a relatively big tongue. Frequently, the first attempt at treating slumber apnea in a child with Down syndrome is the removal of the adenoids and/or the tonsils.

Musculoskeletal Bug

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists a number of issues affecting the muscles, bones, and joints of people with Down syndrome. One of the most common is an upper neck abnormality called atlantoaxial instability (AAI), in which vertebrae in the neck become misaligned. It doesn't always cause symptoms, but when it does it tin can lead to neurological symptoms such as clumsiness, difficulty walking or an abnormal gait (e.yard. limping), nerve pain in the neck, and muscle tightness or contractions.

Down syndrome also is associated with joint instability, leading to hips and knees that may easily become confused.

Heart Defects

Near half of all babies with Down syndrome are born with eye defects, reports the CDC. These can range from mild bug that are likely to right themselves over time to serious defects that will require medication or surgeries.

The most mutual heart defect seen in infants with Down syndrome is an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD)—holes in the centre that interfere with the normal catamenia of blood. An AVSD may need to be surgically treated.

Children with Down's syndrome who aren't built-in with heart issues will non develop them later in life.

Gastrointestinal Issues

People with Down syndrome tend to exist at an increased risk for a variety of GI bug. 1 of these, a condition called duodenal atresia, is a deformity of the modest tube-like construction (the duodenum) that allows digested material from the tum to pass into the modest bowel. In a newborn, this status causes a bloated upper abdomen, excessive vomiting, and lack of urination and bowel movements (afterwards the outset few meconium stools). Duodenal atresia tin exist successfully treated with surgery shortly subsequently nascency.

Some other gastrointestinal condition of note in Down syndrome isHirschsprung disease—an absenteeism of nerves in the colon, which can cause constipation.

Celiac disease, in which abdominal problems develop when someone eats gluten, a protein plant in wheat, barley, and rye, is more mutual in people with Downward syndrome likewise.

Hypothyroidism

In this status, the thyroid gland makes little or no thyroid hormone, which regulates bodily functions such every bit temperature and energy. Hypothyroidism can be present at birth or develop subsequently in life, so regular testing for the condition should be done get-go when a babe with Down's syndrome is born. Hypothyroidism can be managed by taking thyroid hormone by mouth.

Claret Disorders

These include anemia, in which cerise claret cells don't accept plenty iron to carry oxygen to the body, and polycythemia (higher-than-normal levels of red blood cells). Babyhood leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, occurs in about 2 to 3% of children with Down's syndrome.

Epilepsy

According to the NIH, this seizure disorder is almost probable to occur during the first 2 years of the life of a person with Down syndrome or to develop after the third decade.

About half of the people with Down syndrome develop epilepsy after age 50.

Mental Wellness Disorders

It's as well vital to sympathize that, despite what may appear to be innately unshakeable cheeriness, higher rates of anxiety disorders, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have all been reported in Downwards syndrome. These psychological bug tin can be successfully treated with behavior modification, counseling, and sometimes medication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why practice people with Down's syndrome look the same?

They accept an actress chromosome or part of an actress chromosome. Researchers believe that this extra genetic fabric affects growth of the maxilla (office of the skull) and the bone, cartilage, and connective tissue in the head, known as the cranial neural crest. It creates mutual Down syndrome features such as upturned, almond-shaped eyes and a smaller head.
Why exercise people with Down syndrome stick out their tongue?

The natural language is unusually large in many people with Down syndrome. In this status, chosen macroglossia, the natural language is too big for the mouth so information technology protrudes out. Since babies born with Down syndrome also have impaired musculus control (and the natural language is a muscle), the condition may exist peculiarly noticeable and problematic.
Why are people with Down syndrome so happy?

People who have Down's syndrome feel a full range of emotions and aren't always happy. Overall, the vast majority of people who take Down syndrome written report being happy with life and liking who they are.

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Source: https://www.verywellhealth.com/symptoms-of-down-syndrome-1120463