10+ Down Syndrome Facts: A Fight Between Reality and Emotions

You may have heard about down syndrome before, but today we bring to you some facts about down syndrome which will make you look at people suffering from this condition with a little more respect and warm love in your eyes seeing everything they go through.

Down syndrome is a lifelong condition, a result of abnormal cell division in pregnant women. This syndrome increases the need for medical care.

Do you know the other name for Down syndrome? It is Trisomy 21. This additional genetic material completely changes the course of human development, it challenges mental and physical development.

In this article, we will cover every aspect of down syndrome facts.

10+ Down Syndrome Facts: A Fight Between Reality and Emotions

What are the syndrome’s effects on the body, and what are the challenges faced by those who have the syndrome?

You may be worried at first, but then scrolling down will give you the courage when you read the story of two people who have the potential to change the lives of parents as well as children with down syndrome.

Historical Facts About Down Syndrome:

• The syndrome is named after British Doctor called John Langdon Down.
• A child with down syndrome has beauty and uniqueness.
• The child with the syndrome is depicted as Angel in early Netherlandish paintings.
• This 16th-century painting was beautifully called The Adoration of the Christ Child.
• Struck by Lightning is a comedy-drama to introduce Down syndrome.
• The archaeological record says the oldest syndrome case is of a 9-year-old child from England in 700 AD.
• The syndrome was first called Mongolism.
• The oldest skeleton of a child with down syndrome has been found. The skeleton is 1500 years old and belongs to Medieval France.
• In 1984, for the first time, it was observed that the gene for down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease is present on the same chromosome, chromosome 21.

Initiatives and Awareness Facts About Down Syndrome:

The National Down Syndrome Congress was founded in 1973 by Kathryn McGee of the United States.

21 March 2006 is the World’s First Down Syndrome Day. Can you imagine any special about this day? The day and the month correspond to 21 and trisomy.

Knowing Archetype Facts About Down Syndrome:

The first type is Trisomy 21, out of most children with down syndrome, 95 % have this type. Each cell has 3 copies of chromosome 21.

There is another type called Translocation Down syndrome. The extra part of chromosome 21 is translocated to a different chromosome.

Mosaic Facts About Down Syndrome :

It is a combination type in which some cells have 3 copies of extra chromosome while others have 2 copies of extra chromosome 21.

In genetic testing, 20 to 25 cells are examined. If some cells have trisomy and others don’t, the condition is diagnosed as Mosaic down syndrome. This mosaic down syndrome is the mosaic style of art where a picture is portrayed in different tile colours.

This form of Down syndrome has few features of the syndrome due to other cells’ presence.

Animal Facts About Down Syndrome

Can you imagine a monkey with down syndrome?

Yes, it’s possible. Kanako was the longest-lived Japan-born Chimpanzee around 1993.

Physical Characteristics and Medical Facts About Down Syndrome:

Can you imagine how cell division would change a child’s life with down syndrome? The additional genetic material alters the mental and physical characteristics of the child more than we can imagine.

• Flattened bridge of the nose.
• Low muscle tone.
• Broad hands with small pinky fingers which are curved.
• short stature
• Immune disorders
• Almond-shaped eyes and epicanthic fold
• congenital heart defects like a ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and tetralogy of Fallot.
• Low-set ears, Ear infections, and hearing problems.
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
• Hypogonadism
• Obstructive sleep apnea is where breathing temporarily stops while asleep.

Steps of Prenatal Diagnosis and Prenatal Screening Tests:

This includes screening tests and diagnostic tests for down syndrome:

Screening facts about Down syndrome:

• Pregnant women are screened for down syndrome.
• Blood tests and ultrasounds are screening tests to determine the baby’s risk of this genetic condition.
• The mother’s blood is tested for MS-AFP, Triple Screen, and Quad Screen.

Diagnostic facts about Down syndrome:

The diagnostic tests performed after mothers’ screening tests provide a higher or lower chance of having a baby with Down syndrome.

Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, Chorionic villus sampling, and amniotic fluid testing are the diagnostic tests that predict changes in the chromosomes and genetic disorders.

Nuchal translucency test: Diagnostic facts about down syndrome

This test measures tissue thickness at the back of the unborn baby’s neck. Unborn babies have some fluid at the back of their necks. In down syndrome, this fluid is more with thick space.

Celiac Facts About Down Syndrome

In children with down syndrome and celiac disease, there are symptoms like growth failure, weight loss, anemia¹, watery diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation.

Growth failure is seen in the form of heart defects.

Society’s Facts About Down Syndrome Awareness:

The global down syndrome foundation aims at improving the lives of people with the syndrome through Research, Medical care, Education and Guidance.

This society organizes the “Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show” to benefit people with down syndrome.

Monthly Awareness Facts About Down Syndrome

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention dedicates January as the month of National Birth Defects Awareness Month. This month aims to create awareness about birth defects.

We can improve the quality of people with down syndrome by providing every possible way like therapies, special education, therapist support, parent counselling², and a community-based approach.

On this day, the global down syndrome community gathers to remind us that we should share more and more ideas, share lots and lots of experience, and spread knowledge as far as we can when it comes to helping people with down syndrome.

The aim is to spread positivity. We expect a positive change and we want a positive change. Yes, we want positivity. Let us work for positivity for people with down syndrome.

Preparing for Challenges: Fight Facts About Down Syndrome

Maintaining good health conditions and leading healthy lives is very challenging for both parents and the affected children with down syndrome.

But never lose hope. Science is developing at a speed more than the speed of light. Genomics is advancing. There is going to be a great benefit for children with the syndrome.

Genetic Facts About Down Syndrome

Yes. They mirror the positive and negative effects of Down syndrome³. Negative aspects of Down syndrome are congenital disabilities, health complications, medical conditions, and congenital heart defects.

Why always look at the negative side? Why not look at the positive side and inspire those with Down syndrome?

Positives of the down syndrome include available therapies, including early intervention services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and available treatments.

Parental Facts About Down Syndrome

When parents know their child has Down syndrome, they are initially scared and stressed.

If they can speak to the parents facing the same problem, then there are better options for controlling fear and ways of improving life expectancy and children’s health with down syndrome.

Government helps a lot of people with down syndrome. Till the age of 3, early intervention services are provided. After 3 years, guaranteed educational services are provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Heard of Dysmorphology?

Dysmorphology is a branch of medicine. In this branch, physicians identify congenital anomalies based on clinical features.

Down syndrome can be detected by facial features using a geometric descriptor. There is a data set which contains photographs of patients of varying ages, gender and ethnicities taken from different angles.

Unique facial features of Down syndrome include a flat face, small head, short neck, protruding tongue, slanting eyelids, short neck and small ears.

Some other unique features are small hands with small fingers and a palm crease. Due to disturbed growth, the height is also short.

Emotional Facts About Down Syndrome

Down syndrome has a deeply emotional aspect regarding family and community. The two stories will completely change the outlook and perspective.

Megan’s story of Down syndrome: A must read

Have you read the story of Megan McCormick, which is available on the CDC website? This is a very inspiring story that every parent and child with down syndrome must read. Reading such inspiring stories increases fighting power, confidence, and positivity toward life.

This is the story of 31-year-old Megan, the youngest of six siblings. When her parents told her for the first time that she had down syndrome, she did not even know what it was. she understood that she would have to work very hard to achieve her life goals.

The support of her parents was very precious. They never let her feel that she had a disability. Her immediate family members have always set a high education bar for her.

She was admitted to a public school in Lexington. For her college credit, she was admitted to a technical school where she had a lot of fun with the students. She is very thankful to her professor and class fellows and graduated in 2019.

Megan has dreams, and she is living her dreams. She is involved in Special Olympics and swimming. She is an advocate for health and wellness.

Inspirational Facts About Down Syndrome:

Bryton and Fenix’s story is no less than Megans: Want to know? 

This story is completely different from the story of Megan. This is the story of two sons who have had congenital disabilities since childhood. Bryton has down syndrome, and Fenix has a congenital eye defect due to which he is blind.

This family has faced challenges together. They refused to give up even in the toughest times. Janalyn says she is the proud mother of two sons born with congenital disabilities.

Janalyn says that when she came to know that her eldest son Fenix has down syndrome, it was not easy for her. Fenix was hospitalized many times due to respiratory illness.

She is a proud mother who says that her child is very energetic. He loves sports and music. She ensures that her child’s future is bright.

Janalyn says she was completely shocked when her younger son Bryton was born with congenital blindness. She completely went into disbelief. She came out of shock and provided medical care to Bryton, which he needed the most.

Today her son laughs and makes her day brighter. His speech is delayed, but he is laughing. He is laughing.

A Beautiful Initiative: Beyond Imagination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYolts75D20

Have you heard of Gap Kids Fall Campaign???

This campaign gives us a beautiful message. We all have a chance to shine.

Avis is the founder of the Lucky Few Foundation, a national down syndrome advocacy organization. She has released her second book, Everyone Belongs.

The “Everyone Belongs” Gap Kids Campaign has a cast. The video shows that children with disabilities enjoy making videos, biking, riding, swimming, and a lot of loaded fun. The campaign debuted on 27 July across Gapkids Channels.

Gapkids is hosting the first-ever digital talent show. Kids across the country are encouraged to participate and showcase their unique talents and skills.

Learn General Facts About Down Syndrome:

1. Most children with down syndrome have an increased risk of developing childhood leukemia.
2. By law, children with down syndrome have the right to a free and appropriate education.
3. With advancements in appropriate medical care and Down syndrome diagnosis, the life expectancy of children with down syndrome has increased.
4. The therapeutic goal is to improve children with down syndrome physical and intellectual abilities.
5. The important risk factor for Down syndrome is the mother’s age.
6. Down syndrome is a frequently occurring chromosomal disorder in the United States.
7. Low muscle tone is common in children with Down syndrome. Those children with down syndrome develop sitting, crawling, and walking like other children but are in later stages of development.
8. Syndrome increases children’s ability to learn.
9. Health problems with Down syndrome are challenging.
10. Hearing and vision problems are present in about half of the children with down syndrome.
11. People with Down syndrome are unique in their abilities.
12. The umbilical cord is short in infants born with down syndrome. It is 45.1 cm compared with 57.3 cm for standard umbilical cord length.
13. People with down syndrome are screened for celiac disease only when they have abdominal symptoms.
14. Down syndrome is a common chromosomal condition diagnosed.
15. The mosaic syndrome is a rare form of down syndrome.
16. The facial features of down syndrome are not prominent in Mosaic syndrome.
17. Down syndrome is a set of diseases.
18. Education and proper care is the main key to a successful outcome for Down syndrome.
19. Various stamps have been issued since 1981 by various countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, etc, which focus on trisomy 21
20. Since many couples postpone parenting for later, they unknowingly increase the chances of down syndrome conceptions.

Unique Facts About Down Syndrome

• They have low IQ and speak late, but with support, they get IQ and speak in waves.
• They have numerous health problems, but with support, we can reduce their problems.
• Their ability is so unique that I doubt if I have this ability.
• Walked so late, crawled so late, and sometimes I wonder how long rest you take.
• Delay in cognition, but with effort, they display cognition.
• Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise. Let us phrase again: Early to detect, early to intervene, make you able, capable and wise.
• Down syndrome cannot be cured but can be happily endured with care.

Every child with Down syndrome has a unique gift and abilities that should be valued in a community. Megan’s supportive example is an inspiration for children with down syndrome.

The story of Megan and Bryton inspires us. People with down syndrome can lead a good life when properly supported. Their education is possible, and their normal life is possible. Yes, they can be happy like we all are.

When Janalyn says that her child laughs, can you feel that happiness I felt while reading? Family support can make every impossible thing possible.

EndNote

Let us broaden this. Can you ever imagine that babies with Down syndrome can also bring happiness to their parent’s life.? Is that possible?

When babies with down syndrome walk, can you imagine how happy their parents are? Even when these children crawl, their parents’ happiness cannot be guessed.

All we can say, is provide support in every way you can, may it be financial, emotional, or even physical, we are all God’s children in the end, aren’t we? So let’s make this world a better place for everyone to live, yeah?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What happens when a person has Down syndrome?

A genetic disorder called Down syndrome is linked to intellectual impairment, a distinctive facial appearance, and low muscle tone (hypotonia⁴) in early childhood. Even though all affected people have cognitive deficits, intellectual impairment is often moderate to mild.

2. What is the reason for Down syndrome?

Trisomy 21⁵, or having 3 copies of chromosome 21 in place of the normal 2 copies in all cells, is what causes Down syndrome. This results from sperm or egg cell growth that results in aberrant cellular division.

3. Can people with Down syndrome live a normal life?

Down syndrome does not present 100% limitations on a person’s capabilities. In their 60s, 70s, and beyond, those with the syndrome can nevertheless lead relatively independent, healthful, and active lives.

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2. van Hagen, Iris M., and Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink. “Pregnancy in congenital heart disease: risk prediction and counselling.” Heart (2020). ↩︎
3. Antonarakis, Stylianos E., et al. “Down syndrome.” Nature Reviews Disease Primers 6.1 (2020): 9. ↩︎
4. Morton, Sarah U., et al. “Multicenter consensus approach to evaluation of neonatal hypotonia in the genomic era: a review.” JAMA neurology (2022). ↩︎
5. Antonarakis, Stylianos E., et al. “Down syndrome.” Nature Reviews Disease Primers 6.1 (2020): 9. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 24, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology