One of the most common chromosomal disorders, Down syndrome is associated with the mental retardation and malformation in a newborn. The main cause of Down syndrome is the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. Generally children with Down syndrome show slower physical and mental development than a normal child. There may also be other health issues like dementia, hearing problems and problems with eyes, intestine, thyroid and skeleton. Women with late pregnancies are more prone to having children with Down syndrome.

The Down syndrome was found to affect people in all the races. What is more, the Down syndrome was found to attack the women in their advanced years. Another significant aspect of Down syndrome that attracted the attention of the researchers was the rarity of its recurrence.

Down syndrome people are stupid and stop learning around 5th grade." People with Down syndrome are not stupid. They are intellectually disabled, or mentally retarded. "Retarded" is defined as "slow or to go slowly". It may take longer for them to learn something, but learn they do. Some people with Down syndrome may find certain concepts difficult to grasp. Learning is a lifelong process. Many people with Down syndrome go to college. Could a 5th grader do that?

Usually, babies are easily diagnosed with this condition because they manifest physical characteristics associated with Down syndrome. These physical characteristics include: flat figure of the face, small head, low-set or flat-bridged nose, small mouth with an unusually large tongue, eyes slanting upwards, round cheeks, small ears, wide hands, subnormal height, and malformed fifth finger.

A survey conducted in United States showed that the life acceptancy of such people is around 49 years up from 25 years in 1980.The life expectancy also depends on many factors like the social environment of the individual as well as the family environment. Fertility is drastically reduced with males suffering the worst. Only 3 instances of a male suffering from Down syndrome becoming a father have been recorded.

If you are over age 35 and pregnant, your obstetrician will probably order the "triple screen test", an amniocentesis or a chorionic villus sample test. These assessments can give clues but are not totally decisive. Once the baby is born, physical exams and bloodwork tests will be done to make a diagnosis.

Some Down syndrome research suggests that smoking while being on birth control can cause the syndrome, although it is debated in some circles. Once pregnant, a woman can go for ultrasound, non-invasive blood tests or undergo amniocentesis for a more accurate assessment.

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