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Down Syndrome Research Paper

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Introduction Down syndrome is sometimes called trisomy 21. This results from a chromosome disorder that results in an extra chromosome or a part of a third chromosome within the cells of a person (Blackman, 1990). “It was first identified by John Langdon Down in 1866” (Carr, 1995, p.1). Down syndrome causes learning disabilities, developmental delays, and health problems that can be very severe.

Symptoms
Children and adults with Down syndrome have very distinct facial appearances. Babies with Down syndrome may be average sizes at birth, but as they grow you can truly see the delays. They remain smaller than children their age and throughout learning how to crawl and walk it may take them twice as long as children who do not have any disability …show more content…

Children who have a lower immune system to fight of infections are especially at risk for respiratory infections. Issues due to the distinctive appearances associated with Down syndrome, like upward slant eyes, contribute to other eye problems such as cross eyes, farsightedness and nearsightedness (Blackman, 1990). According to the National Association for Down Syndrome (n.d.) and WebMD (2015), about 40% of the children with Down syndrome have congenital heart defects. When a newborn is born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, the child needs to have an echocardiogram to check for any serious heart defects and problems. Hearing impairment is also a health issue for those diagnosed with Down syndrome (National Association of Down Syndrome, …show more content…

This test involves a part of the placenta being retrieved during the mother’s third month of pregnancy. This is a shorter test procedure than amniocentesis due to the fact that doctors do not have to wait two to four weeks for the sample to grow in a culture in the lab. Instead, it may only take a few hours to get the results back. This test can be done earlier in the pregnancy: in the first trimester after the ten week period. Although this a quicker and more efficient test, it has a higher risk of the mother having a miscarriage due to being able to test much earlier (Mayo Clinic, 2015, Pueschel et al.,

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