... About Down's syndrome
by Beverly Lasswell
God's Ordinary Miracle - A Down Syndrome Journey
MYTH: Researchers don't know what causes Down's syndrome.
FACT: Down's syndrome (also known as trisomy 21) is a specific congenital abnormality of chromosome 21. Besides mental retardation, Down's syndrome is also associated with a weakened immune system, a high incidence of hypothyroidism, musculoskeletal abnormalities, heart defects, and characteristic alterations in facial features and the hands and feet.
MYTH: Severe mental retardation is a hallmark of Down's syndrome.
FACT: Although people with Down's syndrome are mentally retarded, the degree ranges from mild to severe. The average IQ for a person with Down's syndrome is 40 to 54 (moderate retardation).
MYTH: Most infants with Down's syndrome are born to women over 35 years old.
FACT: Although older women have a statistically greater risk, younger women give birth to about 80% of babies with Down's syndrome. The reasons: More women under 35 become pregnant, and more women over 35 who do become pregnant have prenatal screening for genetic abnormalities in the fetus, which sometimes leads to termination of the pregnancy.
MYTH: Obesity is an inevitable consequence of Down's syndrome.
FACT: Although more than half of children with Down's syndrome can be considered obese, most researchers blame overeating, lack of exercise, and undetected or untreated hypothyroidism.
MYTH: All people with Down's syndrome have friendly, happy personalities.
FACT: Although many of those affected do have pleasant personalities, over 20% show signs of emotional disorders, including anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, and behavioral problems such as self-injury or aggressiveness.
BY BEVERLY LASSWELL, RN, BSN, MS
Professor of Nursing
North Harris Montgomery Community College District
Houston, Tex.
Copyright Springhouse Corporation Mar 1996
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved