A Disability = DOWNS SYNDROME / TRISOMY 21
Simple Explanation = Someone with Downs Syndrome will have a genetic disorder that causes them to have an extra copy of Chromosome 21 (People without Downs Syndrome/Trisomy 21 tend to only have 2 copies).
This disability is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability and characteristic facial features.
Details For A More Complex Explanation =
The average IQ of a young adult with Trisomy 21 / Downs Syndrome is 50 (the equivalent to the mental ability of an average 8 - 9 year old child, but this can vary widely).
Average Life Expectancy = Between 50 to 60 years (In A Developed World With Proper Health Care)
Frequency = 5.4 million (0.1%)
The parents of the affected individual are usually average people with their regular day to day lives (Meaning that anyone has a possibility that they could give birth to a child with Down’s Syndrome, a parent doesn’t have to have Down’s Syndrome too).
Probability = This increases from less that 0.1% in 20yr old mothers to 3% in those of age 45.
The extra chromosome is believed to occur by chance with no behavioral activity or environmental factor that changes the probability.
Down’s Syndrome can be identified during pregnancy by prenatal screening followed by diagnostic testing or after birth by direct observation and genetic testing. Regular screening for health problems common in Down’s Syndrome is recommended throughout the person’s life.
Down’s Syndrome pregnancies are often aborted due to either =
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Parental Funds = Not enough money to cater for the childs lifelong needs.
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The Scare = Being scared of not being good enough parents.
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Parental / Peer Pressure = Not having a good enough support system to feel secure with the childs condition or being told that u may loose friends or family if u decide to keep the child (This is a horrible experience if u get told this during a Down’s Syndrome pregnancy or any pregnancy to be honest)
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No Care Plans = When the parents have no idea on how to look after a child let alone one with lifelong conditions.
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& more…
There is no cure for Down’s Syndrome but there is education and proper care that have been shown to improve the quality of their life.
Some children with Down’s Syndrome are educated in typical school classes, while other require more specialised education.
In adulthood, about 20% in the United States do paid work in some capacity, with many requiring a sheltered work environment. Support in financial and legal matters is often needed.
Down’s Syndrome is one of the most common chromosome abnormalities in humans. It occurs in about 1 in 1,000 babies born each year.
The condition is named after a British doctor John Langdon Down, who fully described the syndrome in 1866. Some aspects of the condition were described earlier by French psychiatrist Jean - Etienne Dominique Esquirol in 1838 and French physician Edouard Seguin in 1844. The genetic cause of Down’s was discovered in 1959.
Most of the statistics & history in this message are from online but I wrote quite a bit myself since I have a cousin who has Down’s Syndrome who has always been one of my best friends and most trusted family members (:
Thank u for you time (: