Down’s syndrome, named after John Langdon Down (a British doctor who described it in 1866), is not a disease but a genetic disorder appearing when the child has an extra 21st chromosome. There are about a million individuals worldwide suffering from this disorder.
Down’s syndrome is misunderstood and underestimated by most people. Though they may look different, people with Down’s syndrome are normal people needing love and care like everyone else. There are a number of myths that are prevalent today about Down’s syndrome.
Down’s syndrome is a rare genetic disorder
It is, in fact, the most common genetic disorder occurring in the world. Every single child out of around 733 live births is supposed to born with this disorder. According to National Down Syndrome Society, a total of 530,000 people in the US are reported to have this disorder, with around 5,000 to 6,000 additions every year. So common is the disorder that a number of organizations have come up to cater to the special needs of these children.
Older parents are more likely to have children with Down’s syndrome
In fact, it’s just the opposite. About eighty percent of the children that are diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are born to younger women below the age of 35 years. It is because the fertility rates of such women are high. The average age of such mothers whose infants suffer from this genetic disorder is about 28 years. Research does show that the risk of having infants with this genetic disorder increases with the increase in maternal age, but still the maximum cases of children with Down’s syndrome are found to be born to mothers below the age of 35 years as more number of babies are born to women below the age of 35 years.
Down’s syndrome leads to severe mental retardation and is not cureable
Down’s syndrome does not lead to severe mental retardation. Mild or moderate retardation may be visible in people suffering from this disorder. As far as the IQ levels are concerned, the individuals have IQ between thirty and sixty, though there can be deviations on either side. But the underlying fact is that all the individuals born with Down’s syndrome have the ability to learn, reason and understand.
Though there is no cure present right now for Down’s syndrome, but with the advancement of medical science, problems that develop because of the disease are treatable to some degree.
Down’s syndrome will eventually lead to development of Alzheimer’s disease
Though a higher percentage of the individuals suffering from Down’s syndrome may show signs of Alzheimer’s disease (s-type dementia), but not all. About one-fourth of the individuals may start showing the symptoms of the same at around the age of 35 years. Generally 5%-10% of the population above 65 years of age suffers from Alzheimer’s disease but the incidence may be three to five times greater in case of individuals suffering from Down’s syndrome. But, it is not a general rule that all the individuals suffering from Down’s syndrome will eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Down’s syndrome is a hereditary disease and continues in the next generation
In most of the cases, Down’s syndrome is not transferred to the next generation. Down’s syndrome is due to the extra pair of the 21st chromosome caused by an abnormal division of cells during the formation of sperm cells or egg cells. However, if translocation is the cause of Down’s syndrome, that is, if a part of the 21st chromosome gets attached or translocated onto another chromosome, then it can be transferred from the parent to the child.
But only about 4% of the individuals suffering from Down’s syndrome have translocation, and only about one half of the children of such parents are likely to inherit it from their parents, eventually bringing down the percentage of the cases where it can get transmitted to the newer generations. Also, the risk of passing the disorder due to translocation depends upon the sex of the parent who carries the defective 21st chromosome.
If the father is carrying the defective chromosome, the chances are about 3%. If the mother is carrying the defective chromosome, the chances lie between 10% to 15%.
Children with Down’s syndrome are forced to join separate and segregated class rooms
Children having Down’s syndrome may suffer from mild to moderate mental retardation, but they can very well be included in the normal classroom sessions in schools. Some of the children with a greater degree of retardation may be integrated into some specific learning courses, while in other cases there is generally no such need.
An increasing number of schools in the United States can be seen to be accommodating students with Down’s syndrome in their regular classroom sessions. This method of education, called inclusive education, is resulting in numerous benefits for the children, making them more eager and curious to learn.
Moreover, there has been an increase in the overall number of children with Down’s syndrome graduating from high school and participating in post-secondary courses. Such children have even received degrees from colleges.
Individuals with Down’s syndrome have no social life, are institutionalized and cannot form relationships
With communities coming forward to help the individuals with Down’s syndrome in every aspect, these individuals have found it very easy to live with their families at home now. They are no longer segregated into special education programs. On the contrary, they are allowed to take part in the daily activities of the household and the religious, cultural and other recreational activities of the community.
People suffering from Down’s syndrome can also date and marry. A woman suffering from Down’s syndrome can definitely have children. Inheritance of the disorder occurs in very rare cases, involving translocation type of disability, with the percentage of such carriers being as low as 4%. Also, except for some very rare cases, men with Down’s syndrome can father children.
Adults suffering from Down’s syndrome generally remain unemployed and can never become independent
In today’s era, people with Down’s syndrome work at a variety of positions in various departments. Be it small or big offices, restaurants, hotels or schools, such people have been working in all these areas with dedication and enthusiasm. Such individuals have even made their presence felt in industries like music or computer industry.
There has been a great increase in the opportunities for people with Down’s syndrome over the past years in various aspects of the community. Acceptance by the community as a whole has brought about such a change. In recent times, such individuals work and earn independently and even own houses with the money earned by them.
Individuals with Down’s syndrome die early and have an average life expectancy of about 30 years
Though the average life expectancy of individuals with Down’s syndrome is lower than the average population, there has been an increase in their average life expectancy in the recent years and such people are found to live to about 55-60 years of age. In general, there are a number of factors that contribute to the average life span of such individuals.
Individuals suffering from Down’s syndrome may develop some heart disease. They are generally more prone to infections and might develop sight and hearing impairment, but with the advancement of medical technology they can be treated to a greater degree and can be expected to live longer. All these things have resulted in higher life expectancy for such individuals in recent years.
Individuals with Down’s syndrome always feel happy
It is generally considered that the mental retardation in individuals with Down’s syndrome is coupled with a lack of emotions and such individuals always feel happy. But individuals with such a disorder have the same feelings like everyone else in the population. They do experience different emotions. They feel happy, sad or angry just as everyone else does. They respond to acts of friendship and get hurt or upset by uncaring behavior. In fact, some extra love and care helps them to fight their disability better.
No help from the community can be expected to bring up children with Down’s syndrome
Due to the increased awareness over the past few years, there has been an increase in the acceptance of people with Down’s syndrome by the community as a whole. There are many organizations and support groups in the United States that provide services to such individuals. There are numerous examples of people with this disorder working in various professions.
In the United States, frequent campaigns involving music therapy, games and arts and crafts exhibition are hosted for such individuals. Genetic counseling and support for the parents of such individuals are also available all across the globe now. The availability of such support and the acceptance of such individuals by the community in the recent years have made a huge difference to the progress of lives of children as well as adults with Down’s syndrome.
