Not too long ago, there was a huge taboo on children born with Down syndrome that they are heavily discriminated against. Today, there have been numerous campaigns and awareness groups that distribute information and education about this genetic condition affecting at least one about seven hundred babies.
A baby born with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome in their makeup that affect their physical and mental development. It’s not the child’s “fault,” nor it is the parents’, when they are born with the condition (although it is said that getting pregnant at a later age could contribute to the cause the baby having Down syndrome).
People with Down syndrome (both children and adult) have distinct physical characters that make their condition more recognizable.
- A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose
- Almond-shaped eyes that slant up
- A short neck
- Small ears
- A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth
- Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye
- Small hands and feet
- A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)
- Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb
- Poor muscle tone or loose joints
- Shorter in height as children and adults.
People with Down syndrome tend to look similar because of the abovementioned physical characteristics. But each person with Down syndrome is different from another, much like regular people are different from each other.
With the studies and information about Down syndrome now easily available to everyone, awareness is wider and acceptance of the people with this condition is easier. They may have limited mental and physical capacities, but they do have strengths and abilities not common in normal, average people. They are also prone to quite a number of diseases during childhood that could stay with them as they grow old. Some of which are ear and eye conditions and infections, and heart conditions. Children with Down syndrome tend to have delayed speech and mental development. They would need extra help along the way. Speech therapy, physical development programs, and mentally stimulating activities would immensely help prepare the children with Down syndrome to become independently functioning adults despite their condition.
Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. There are no treatments to correct this, but there are methods and preparations for children and adults to learn in order to overcome the limitations presented by having the Down syndrome.