Down Syndrome Essay

Down syndrome was discovered in the 1800’s by a man named John Langton Down. Down syndrome1 is a condition that occurs in the chromosomes. The syndrome affects the intellectual ability of the person effected, their facial appearance and causes hypotonia2. Children born with this usually experience different types of birth defects. These birth defects can include heart defects and intestine blockage. People with Down syndrome are also at a high risk of developing other medical conditions. Some medical conditions include gastro esophageal reflux3, celiac disease4, hypothyroidism5, and leukemia6. Also some visual and hearing problems can arise. There are three types of Down syndrome.
The three types are Trisomy 21, translocation and

Physical characteristics do not show while in the mother’s womb, but are apparent from birth. A child with Down syndrome will have flat facial features, usually with a larger forehead. They will have a smaller head with smaller ears, than the average person. Their ears might also have an odd shape to them. People with Down syndrome have shorter necks, bulging tongues, and have eyes that slant upward. Although they can have these physical features, it does not mean that they will have every single one of them. A person with Down syndrome might have a normal tongue or regularly shaped ears. An infant with Down syndrome can be born at a normal size. Although they can be born at a normal size and weight, the infant will develop twice as slow as a child without Down syndrome

has been estimated to be over 400,000. However, this number is derived from faulty assumptions – the total population from the 2000 US census, 281.4 million people, divided by the most current frequency of live births, 691 equaling 407,236. Unfortunately, this technique takes no account of the gradual increase in frequency or the increase in lifespan of people with Down syndrome. Thus, we don’t actually know how many people with Down syndrome currently live in the U.S.4. Some estimates put the worldwide population of people with Down syndrome at more than 6 million. More research is needed to ascertain whether this number is accurate. (GDSF, 2011, para.