Down Syndrome

Human beings are born with 46 chromosomes, creating thirteen matching pairs. These determine gender, physical features, and mental health, along with many other things, as each chromosome pair has a specific function in the body to perform. However, there are instances where an individual is born with an extra copy of a certain chromosome – such as a woman having an extra x chromosome, which would result in her having Triple X. This may make her taller than average, and go through periods of emotional and behavioral issues; but it usually goes entirely unnoticed and is not known to cause any life-threatening complications.

There are, however, genetic conditions that can vastly shorten and complicate the life of the afflicted individual. One such genetic disorder, and arguably the most well known, would be Down Syndrome – also known as DS, Down's, or Trisomy 21. Though it is unclear and unrecorded who the first person to acknowledge this condition is, the first doctor to view it as a mental disability and observe and record its effects was a man by the name of John Langdon Down – which is where it received its most common name. This disease spawns once in every one thousand live births, and is caused, like Triple X Syndrome, by an extra chromosome that forms during the mother's pregnancy. It is brought on by an extra copy of chromosome 21 forming, giving the child three – but unlike Triple X Syndrome, these changes do not go unnoticed. Screenings can determine early on if a fetus will or will not have Down Syndrome, and a large portion of such pregnancies are terminated. As of now, it is known that 90% of fetuses who have Down Syndrome are aborted. The remaining 10% have an estimated lifespan of fifty to sixty years if they a...

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...abilities. The general IQ score of a person with Down Syndrome as a young adult averages at around 50 points, which would compare to a child of eight or nine with average intelligence. This, just as any other factor of the genetic condition, will vary with each individual. There are a handful of rare cases, including a recent one in the United States, where a student with Down Syndrome is provided with a regular public education and advances to a college.

Though there will not be a cure for any genetic condition in the foreseeable future, it is becoming easier with each year to care for the children who have them. Recent advances in group therapy, special education curriculum and medicines – even service dogs trained to assist them in every-day tasks – have made it possible for Down Syndrome children to lead on happier, healthier lives with fewer complications.