Down's Syndrome

WHAT IS DOWN'S SYNDROME?

People with Down's syndrome have an extra chromosome in some or all of their body's cells. This results in physical and mental characteristics that can include learning difficulties, common facial features and heart problems.

The first person to recognise Down's Syndrome as an entity was Dr John Langdon Down (1828-1896). The syndrome therefore bears his name.

Down's Syndrome affects 1 in 1000 children born in the UK. It occurs at the rate of around 1 in 700 to 1 in 900 live births worldwide. There are currently around 30,000 people with Down's Syndrome in the UK alone, 200,000 in Western Europe, and more than 2,000,000 worldwide.

The most common form of Down's Syndrome is known as "Trisomy 21" in various countries (literally meaning "3 copies of chromosome 21"). What causes the presence of the additional chromosome at the time of conception is still unknown. Although the risk of having a baby with Down's Syndrome increases with maternal age, babies with Down's Syndrome are born at the same rate into families from all social, economic and racial backgrounds, and to parents of all ages.

Down's Syndrome is associated with a number of medical problems including increased risks of hearing and vision defects, heart abnormalities, infection, Leukaemia, Thyroid disorders, and of developing Alzheimer-type Dementia in later life. It is also associated with a range of developmental difficulties including delayed motor skills (such as sitting, crawling and walking in infancy) and delayed cognitive skills (such as speech and language acquisition and short-term memory abilities). However, individuals with Down's Syndrome can now expect to live to 50-60 years of age and with appropriate healthcare, education, therapy, and social support, the majority of people with Down's Syndrome can lead independent and useful lives.

Most children with Down's Syndrome attend mainstream schools, though there are various schooling facilities for children with additional needs or more serious mental or physical disabilities. From a young age, children with Down's Syndrome will be offered speech and language therapy, as their speech often develops quite slowly. Speech and language therapy often continues into adulthood as they may have problems with a protruding tongue.

All children and adults with Down's Syndrome should also have regular sight and hearing tests. Occupational therapists and dieticians help parents with issues such as nutrition and educational support for their children.

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