The Cause and Effects of Down Syndrome

The Cause and Effects of Down Syndrome
Some people wonder what Down syndrome is. How it is caused, and how it is treated. The causes and effects of Down syndrome is when there is an extra 21St chromosome. The effects include some birth defects and health problems. The physical features are different from someone without Down syndrome.
What is Down syndrome? It is a chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra 21st chromosome (Crosta). Down syndrome causes problems with a person’s physical growth that vary by how bad it is. This disease can develop either before or after a child is born. Less than 1,000 pregnancies for mothers less than 30 years of age result in a baby with Down syndrome. For mothers who are 44 years of age, about 1 in 35 pregnancies results in a baby with Down syndrome (Crosta). The only way to have a child with Down syndrome is determined by the mother’s age. 75-80% of babies that have Down syndrome are born to younger mothers. It is believed that a younger woman usually has more children verses an older woman (Crosta).
What causes Down syndrome? Robertsonian translocation occurs when part of chromosome 21 breaks off during cell division and attaches to another chromosome (usually chromosome 14) (Crosta). There are 46 chromosomes in the body. 23 are from the mother and 23 are from the father. When there is another copy or a half copies of chromosome 21, you will have a child with Down syndrome. The most common type of Down syndrome is Trisomy 21. It is where the body has 47 Chromosomes instead of 46 (Crosta). Trisomy 21 is caused by a problem in the cell division called non-disjunction; it leaves a sperm or an egg cell with an extra copy of chromosome 21. 95% of Down syndro...

... middle of paper ...

...hromosome. Most pregnancies for a mothers 40 years of age or older will have a higher risk of having a Down syndrome child. The older the mother is, the more of a chance she will have for her baby to be diagnosed with Down syndrome. The effects of Down syndrome are ear infections, Leukemia at an early age, different physical features than a person without it, and birth defects. There are things to help a person deal with the disease by going to therapy and learning things to help their physical abilities.

Works Cited
Crosta, Peter. “What is Down Syndrome?”. 2004-2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Down Syndrome”. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Facts about Down Syndrome”. 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 5 May. 2014.
Kingsley, Jason. “Count Us In”. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt + Brace & Company, 1994. Print.
Laney, Dawn. “Down Syndrome”. Farmington City, MI: Greenhouse Press, 2003. Print.