Post on 03-Jan-2016
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Down’s syndrome traits• low muscle tone • eyes may have an upward and outward slant • nasal bone can be underdeveloped• the tongue can have less space and protrude • legs and arms are often shorter • hands are short and stubby with a single crease across
the palm • genitals may be small • hair is sometimes fine and straight • teeth may be slightly smaller and do not appear in
normal ‘order’ • delay in sitting, crawling, talking, toileting• most have mental retardation in the mild (IQ 50–70) to
moderate (IQ 35–50) range• can have heart defects, digestive disorders etc
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Trisomy 21
• Down syndrome disorders are based on having too many copies of the genes located on chromosome 21.
• This leads to an overexpression of the genes
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Incidence of Down syndrome
• Occurs in all races• One in every 600 to 700
babies born • Probably more Down
syndrome babies are conceived, but many miscarriages are due to a chromosome error
• The number of children born with Down syndrome increases as mothers become older.
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Effect of mother's age
• Mothers in their 40's are much more likely to have a child with Down's syndrome than younger mothers.
• The eggs produced during ovulation are as old as the mother.
• There is a greater chance for older eggs to have problems that lead to nondisjunction.
• Younger mothers (<35 years) who smoke are at an increased risk of having children with Down syndrome.
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Development in childhood• Development is variable • Delay in sitting, crawling, talking• It is not possible to predict their
capabilities • Early intervention programs from
birth are useful• Success at school can vary greatly • It is common for children with Down
syndrome to need speech therapy to help with expressive language.
• Fine motor skills are delayed and often lag behind gross motor skills
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Life span• The average life expectancy of a person with
Down syndrome is 55+, with some people living into their 80's.
• In 1960 60% of children died before 5 years of age
• Medical research has totally changed the quality of health of people with Down syndrome.
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Relationships• People with Down syndrome have feelings just
like anyone else in the community.• Respond to positive expressions of friendship
• Are hurt and upset by inconsiderate behaviour.
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Sex and marriage• People with Down syndrome date, socialise and
form on-going relationships • In the past it has been unusual for people with
Down syndrome to marry• Females with Down syndrome menstruate and
have been recorded as mothers. There is a 50% chance that their child will have Down syndrome.
• A proportion of males who have Down syndrome will produce sperm and cannot be considered sterile.