Down Syndrome Children Can Grow Up to Lead a Healthy Normal Lifestyle

One out of every eight hundred babies born, are born with Down syndrome. Extra genetic material delays the development in which the baby develops, which then leads to mental retardation. Some babies born with DS grow up to be very healthy and independent, although others need a lot of medical attention.

Research has been able to tell if a baby will be born with DS while the baby is still in the womb. Health problems that occur with a DS child can be treated. Babies inherit genetic information from their parents. The baby receives 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father. The baby receiving 46 chromosomes between both parents, which then the baby receives an extra chromosome this causes the physical and cognitive delays that are associated with DS.

There is no known reason for which DS occurs, and no way to prevent the extra chromosome from happening. Scientists have proven that women over thirty-five years of age are more likely to have a DS child. Women who are at the age of thirty have a one in one thousand chance of having a Down syndrome child. Women who are at the age of thirty or older, have a one in four hundred chance of having a DS child, and by forty two years of age, that amount increases to one in sixty.

Diagnostic tests are performed inside the uterus; because of this procedure there is a risk of a miscarriage and other complications. This procedure is only recommended for women thirty-five and older. To test a baby in the womb for DS, doctors must wait till the mother is in her eleven to fourteen week period of pregnancy. Ultrasound is used to test behind the baby's neck, and look for clear space in the folds of tissue where in DS baby's; fluid will build up in most cases, and make the area appear larger, showing the baby may be born with Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. This test is eighty percent accurate. Testing may also be done through a maternal blood test, which this test has a greater accuracy.

The multiple marker test, known as the triple screen test the quantities of various substances in the mother's blood. Together with the mother's age it is more likely her baby will have Down syndrome. This test is usually performed when the mother is in her fifteen to twenty weeks of pregnancy. Amniocentesis is a test that is done in which there is a small amount of amniotic fluid taken from the abdomen. Cells are then analyzed for the presence of chromosomal abnormalities. This test may cause complications with preterm labor and miscarriage. Test may also be done where a needle is inserted into the abdomen where a tiny sample of the placenta is taken, and then tested. This test also may have complication with the mother having a miscarriage. Taking a small amount of blood from the umbilical cord may also be done for testing. This test is performed in the twenty weeks of pregnancy, and may also carry complications.

A physical exam is done on a baby to diagnose it with Down syndrome. Down syndrome children have certain physical features, such as, an upward slant to the eyes, a single crease across the center of the palms of their hands, flat facial profile, and an enlarged tongue. Babies born with DS may appear to be floppy with loose joints and low muscle tone. These characteristics will improve over time.

Children with DS tend to learn things at a slower pace than their peers, which include toilet teaching, problems with speech, skills like feeding and dressing themselves. Down syndrome children can learn all these abilities, just at a slower pace. Some children with DS experience no other health problems, where as others need extra care due to having congenital heart defects, and usually develop pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the lungs. These medical problems can be treated with medication or surgery. Down syndrome children are more prone to having hearing and vision loss. Audiologist an ophthalmologist can detect and correct these problems before they affect the child's learning skills and speech. Parents should know that having their Down syndrome child around other children, who do not have Down syndrome, could actually be beneficial to their child.

Parents, who have a child born with Down syndrome, may feel quilt, fear, feelings of loss, or even the initial feeling of being in shock. Talking with older children who have Down syndrome, and or even parents who have a Down syndrome child will help you alleviate some of these emotions. It is recommended that parents with a Down syndrome child to enroll them in intervention services after your child is born. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy will help the child with motor skills and language. Many children born with Down syndrome will grow up to live a normal healthy lifestyle.