Down's Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes physical and mental abnormalities in children. It is a result of irregular cell division after the fusion of the sperm and egg which results in extra genetic material being transferred from chromosome 21 to the new embryo. Also called Trisomy 21, Down's syndrome is characterized by physical and mental retardation and unusual facial variations. One in every 600 babies born worldwide is said to have Down's syndrome.
Signs and Symptoms of Down's Syndrome
Children with Down's syndrome have certain unusual facial characteristics like
- Small undersized head
- Flat face
- Upward slanting eyes
- Ears positioned lower than normal
- Stunted neck
- Small mouth with protruding tongue
- Wide hands with short fingers
- Overall retarded growth
- Poor Mental IQ
- Loose muscle tone with excess flexibility
Apart from these, children with Down's syndrome also suffer from lung, heart, intestine and hearing problems.
Causes of Down's Syndrome:
Late pregnancy in women: Pregnant women over 45 are at greater risk as their eggs are older and may lead to improper chromosome division
Delivering one baby with Down's syndrome: The chances are more for the next baby to have Down's syndrome if its elder sibling already is affected by it.
Heredity: If the parents have Down's syndrome, there are great chances of this being passed on to their children.
Down's Syndrome prevention
Doctors claim that taking adequate amounts of Folic Acid or Vitamin B9 before and during early pregnancy stages may help in Down's syndrome prevention.
Folic Acid is crucial for the development of the brain in infants. It is also responsible for the production of red blood cells in babies and the vital key to their strong mental health.
Down's Syndrome prevention is thus possible only with consumption of sufficient Folic acid through spinach, dairy products, seafood, eggs, fruits and nuts.
Medical Treatment in India for Down's Syndrome
Every year in India, there are incidences of 23 to 26,000 children with Down's syndrome. But hope is not lost as there are enough health centres and hospitals offering medical treatment in India for Down's syndrome.
Down's Syndrome treatment starts with initial screening and diagnostic test during the first trimester, cell-free fetal DNA analysis, amniocentesis and cordocentesis and karyotyping at birth.
A baby affected by Down's syndrome needs early intervention to improve the duration and quality of its life. Early intervention involves several therapies directed at helping children cope with their daily difficulties.
Speech Therapy - to improve the speaking and hearing skills of the child
Behavioural and Emotional therapy- to help them cope up with their condition and the stress it involves, to interact with their peers normally and to tackle age-related issues like puberty etc.
Multispecialty treatment - Children with Down's Syndrome are often affected with heart, lung, ear and digestive problems. So they require multispecialty treatment from cardiologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, audiologists etc.
Helping children with Down's syndrome
Treating children with Down's Syndrome as part of the society is the first step in helping them.
Apart from this, the following activities can help children with Down's Syndrome
- Using pictures to illustrate topics using books
- Using assisted devices like touch screen tablets and laptops
- Improving their writing ability by using special pencils, pencil grips and sloping surface to write
- Reading aloud and recitation to improve their speech, hearing and vocabulary
- Improving motor skills using finger puppets, beads and pegs, lego and hand gym.
- Games to improve hand-eye coordination like building bricks, jigsaw puzzles, mazes and tracing patterns
- Inculcate independence by encouraging them to eat, bathe and dress on their own.
Down's Syndrome is definitely a congenital genetic disorder but one whose medical treatment in India is done both efficiently and economically.
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