International Down Syndrome Day

Yesterday was International Down Syndrome Day. Although this is a day late, there is no difference in the importance of celebrating those different from us. It is each of our uniqueness’s that make the whole more interesting. As the video states, different is not less and there is so much to learn from one another.

International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life

Down Syndrome effects 1 in every 691 births. It can range in severity, but the common symptoms are a delay in physical and intellectual development. Often individual’s effected have low muscle town, a flattened facial profile, a single crease across the palm, and an upward slant to the eyes. There can be heart, feeding, sight, and other issues involved. Down Syndrome is present when there are 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46 a the chromosome effected is the 21st chromosome. It can be only a partial or a full copy of Chromosome 21. There are cases that they call ‘Mosaic’ where some of the areas of the individual are normal while others are not. There is no known reason for the disorder, but it occurs when there is an error in cell division.  The chances increase with age of the mother, but 80% of children born with down syndrome are under 35 years old.

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