Down Syndrome Research Paper

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Have you ever wondered about Down Syndrome and what exactly causes it, or even the health problems that these children and adults face? Down Syndrome, often known as DS, is a genetic condition which is caused by an extra chromosome. Down Syndrome is also the most common genetic disorder. There is no way of preventing Down Syndrome, although genetic counseling is available to figure the odds of having a baby with Downs. Over the course of many years, more tests and screenings have become available for diagnosing Down Syndrome while still in the womb. Although there is no way of preventing the condition, there are a few factors that could possibly play a role in the developing of it. Down Syndrome was first described in 1887 by the British doctor John Langdon Down which is where Down Syndrome got the name. However, it was not until 1959 that the extra chromosome found was identified as the cause, posted by kidshealth.org. There are three different types of Down Syndrome, the most common one is Standard Trisomy 21. “Standard Trisomy 21 is when the extra chromosome 21 comes from either the egg or sperm cell. Between 90% and 95% of all Down syndrome is Standard Trisomy 21.” States www.downsyn.com The second form is Translocation, which is when a piece of the chromosome breaks off and is located on another chromosome. This happens in only 3%-5% of cases with Down Syndrome. The third and most uncommon type of Down Syndrome is Mosaicism when a person has a mix of cells some containing 46 chromosomes and some containing 47 chromosomes which will occur when cells fail to split properly. “A person with Mosaic Down syndrome may exhibit all, some, or none of the characteristics of Down syndrome depending on the percent of cells carrying the extra chromosome and where these cells are located.” www.downsyn.com. Only about 2-5% of cases with Down Syndrome are Mosaic. Down Syndrome will most defiantly affect a child’s life greatly. Often children have the same facial features. A flat face, the upward slant to eyes, small ears, and a protruding tongue. They often have the same medical conditions, which include heart defects and low muscle tones. Down Syndrome patients are most likely to develop pulmonary hypertension. About 50% of kids have problems with hearing and vision. Down Syndrome also affects the ability to …show more content…
Since there is no way to prevent the genetic condition, the only link determined to affect it is the mother's age. The mother's age does not seem to be linked to the type Translocation, most cases are sporadic. In about 1/3 of the cases of translocation, a parent is a carrier for it. The risk of having a second child with translocation is higher if the mother is the carrier. There is only about a 3% chance if the father is the carrier and about 10%-15% chance if the father is the carrier. “Though we know that an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21 causes the characteristics of Down syndrome, researchers are making great strides in identifying how individual genes on chromosome 21 affect a person with Down syndrome. Scientists now feel strongly that it will be possible to improve, correct or prevent many of the problems associated with Down syndrome in the future.”- www.ndss.org. Maybe there is hope that there will be ways not to prevent it but to do some things to intervene with the chances of having a baby with

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