Down’s Syndrome
Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth. Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21. A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is ‘trisomy.’ Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21.
This extra copy changes how the baby’s body and brain develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby.
Signs & Symptoms
Each person with Down syndrome is an individual — intellectual and developmental problems may be mild, moderate, or severe. Some people are healthy while others have significant health problems such as serious heart defects. Children and adults with Down syndrome have distinct facial features. Though not all people with Down syndrome have the same features, some of the more common features include a Flattened face, Small head, Short neck, Protruding tongue, Upward slanting eyelids, Unusually shaped or small ears, Poor muscle tone, Broad, short hands with a single crease in the palm, Relatively short fingers and small hands and feet, and Excessive flexibility.
Diagnosis
There are two basic types of tests available to detect Down syndrome during pregnancy: screening tests and diagnostic tests. A screening test can tell a woman and her healthcare provider whether her pregnancy has a lower or higher chance of having Down syndrome. Screening tests do not provide an absolute diagnosis, but they are safer for the mother and the developing baby. Diagnostic tests can typically detect whether or not a baby will have Down syndrome, but they can be riskier for the mother and developing baby. Neither screening nor diagnostic tests can predict the full impact of Down syndrome on a baby; no one can predict this.
Treatment
Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. Services early in life will often help babies and children with Down syndrome to improve their physical and intellectual abilities. Most of these services focus on helping children with Down syndrome develop to their full potential. These services include speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and they are typically offered through early intervention programs in each state. Children with Down syndrome may also need extra help or attention in school, although many children are included in regular classes.
Conditions Treated
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention Deficit / Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
- Down’s Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Cerebral Palsy
- Sensory Process Disorders
- Learning Disability
- Intellectual Disability
- Speech / Language Delay
- Neuro / Motor Developmental Delay
- Global Developmental Delay
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Knee & Foot Deformities
- Generalized Epilepsy / Seizures
- Genetic Syndromes
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
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