Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality and cannot be cured completely, but consistent, appropriate medical and educational support helps children with Down syndrome make progress in socialization and in developing self-care skills.
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Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality and cannot be cured completely, but consistent, appropriate medical and educational support helps children with Down syndrome make progress in socialization and in developing self-care skills.
Down syndrome is a type of chromosomal disorder in which the karyotype contains 47 chromosomes (one more than normal). The extra chromosome appears because the 21st pair contains three copies of genetic material instead of two. Because the condition is genetic and complex, it is worth answering in detail whether Down syndrome is treatable and whether children with this condition can be adapted to kindergarten and school.
Contacting CSM Clinic in Kyiv can help you choose an individual rehabilitation program using modern methods.
Down syndrome in children occurs in several main forms:
How a child will develop in the future is directly related to the form of Down syndrome. It is assumed that developmental delay in children with the mosaic form is less pronounced than in other forms of the syndrome.
The main causes of Down syndrome:
The etiology of this genetic abnormality is still insufficiently studied. When looking for the causes of Down syndrome, simple trisomy is found most often. Specialists' observations show that the abnormality is not related to the parents' lifestyle, ethnicity or place of residence. The likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome increases in the case of:
Carrying a child with a chromosomal abnormality often ends in spontaneous miscarriage at 3-6 weeks. If the pregnancy continues, children are usually born at term.
Symptoms differ depending on the severity of Down syndrome. The diagnosis is usually made during prenatal testing or immediately after birth. When the clinical signs of Down syndrome were not detected during the pregnant woman's screening tests, they are identified by the neonatologist during the first examination of the newborn based on external features.
Newborns with Down syndrome have the following anatomical features (in various combinations):
In the translocation form, the external signs of Down syndrome are more pronounced. In mosaicism, the external signs depend on the proportion of altered cells. The following symptoms of Down syndrome may also be found during an examination of the child:
Most children have a systemic speech disorder and intellectual disability (mild to moderate), as well as delayed growth and motor development. After puberty, menstrual cycles in girls with Down syndrome are often anovulatory, and fertility is significantly reduced. Many patients are infertile. Many suffer from obesity. Life expectancy is usually 50-60 years.
Children with this chromosomal abnormality often suffer from infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract: acute respiratory viral infections, tonsillitis, adenoiditis, otitis and pneumonia. These illnesses can follow a severe course, so the risk of serious complications is higher up to the age of 5.
As the child grows up, Down syndrome causes the following characteristic conditions and diseases:
Two screenings are performed during pregnancy to diagnose Down syndrome:
The data obtained help specialists estimate the probability of chromosomal abnormalities. The mother's age is taken into account when evaluating the results. If the risk of abnormalities is high, chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis or cordocentesis is performed, followed by cytogenetic analysis and a consultation with a geneticist. If the test for Down syndrome is positive, the parents have the right to make their own decision about continuing or terminating the pregnancy.
All patients with this diagnosis are recommended to have an examination in the first years of life to assess the nature and degree of the disorders. The main diagnostic methods:
Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality and cannot be cured completely, but consistent, appropriate medical and educational support helps children with Down syndrome make progress in socialization and in developing self-care skills.
Professional medical and educational help is needed because the development of children with Down syndrome is slowed, and correcting it requires special skills. Therapeutic exercise and physical therapy procedures are recommended to improve motor function, and systematic work with a speech therapist is recommended to improve speech.
When rehabilitation for Down syndrome is carried out in full, it can help the child make progress in development and minimize the risk of possible complications. At CSM Clinic, patients have access to a full range of services: consultations with experienced doctors and specialists in corrective work, art therapy, sensory integration, speech therapy massage, Bobath therapy, ForBrain, reflexology and more. Rehabilitation helps children attend both special education schools and mainstream schools.
There are no specific methods of preventing Down syndrome. Prior genetic counseling (especially if there have been cases of children with Down syndrome in the family) and avoiding pregnancy planning after age 35 can help reduce the likelihood of having a child with chromosomal abnormalities.
Down syndrome is managed primarily by a neurologist, along with other specialists depending on the form of the condition. To find out which rehabilitation measures your child needs, contact CSM Clinic. Our patients receive medical and educational support from qualified neurologists, geneticists, speech therapists, massage therapists, psychologists, ophthalmologists and other doctors.