Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine

Down syndrome

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome (or part thereof) on chromosome pair 21, so that the cells of the people have three chromosomes in the pair, however, there are only two in normal condition. This inborn error occurs spontaneously, without any apparent justification.

Down syndrome is named after the surname of the British physician John Langdon Haydon Down, which was first, described it in 1866. He found several clinical features that were common in a particular group of people, but was unable to determine its causes. However, it was in July 1958, when the French geneticist Jérôme Lejeune discovered that the syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality of chromosome 21. Down syndrome is the leading cause of intellectual disability and the most common human genetic disorder. The incidence increases with maternal age, especially when it exceeds 35 years, being the only risk factor shown to have a child with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a disease and therefore requires no medical treatment as such. Furthermore, it is impossible to know the causes of the problem; hence, it is very difficult to avoid it (Selikowitz, 2008).

The health of children with Down syndrome does not have anything different with other child, so, in many cases if their health is good or bad, it has nothing to do with trisomy. Therefore, we can have healthy children with Down syndrome, not having any physical disability or issues.

They are health complications related to their genetic alteration: congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, hearing or vision problems, bowel abnormalities, neurological, endocrine. These situations require specific care and appropriate monitoring especially at birth. Fortunately most of them are treatable, either through medication or by surgery.

The least frequent (1%) of the problems include mosaic trisomy, that is, situations where an extra chromosome appears only in some cells. Down syndrome occurs in people throughout the world regardless of race, climate, and medical history.

Down syndrome in newborns is also caused by weak muscle flaccidity of their stress. Flaccidity of the muscles of the tongue can cause problems during breast-feeding. It is followed by Average weight and height at birth, but then follows a slow physical development (heart defects, sight and hearing disorders). Old age persons with Down syndrome are more prone to Alzheimer's disease; however, people with Down syndrome can live up to 60 years.

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