This disease cannot be inherited from parents, they look basically the same! Just because...

Expert of this article: Dong Xiaoli, Director of Children's Rehabilitation Center of Chengdu First People's Hospital, Master's Supervisor

There is a group of people who have no connection with each other but look very similar, and you can even say they are cut from the same mold. What is going on?

Yes, they were sick! They all had a condition called Down syndrome.

According to my country's epidemiological survey data, the incidence rate of children with Down syndrome in China is 1.37 per 10,000 people.

How much do you know about Down syndrome?

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a disease caused by a chromosomal abnormality (an extra chromosome 21).

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The main clinical manifestations of Down syndrome are intellectual disability, developmental delay, special facial features, and may be accompanied by multiple malformations.

The children have obvious special facial signs, such as: dull expression; small palpebral fissures, wide eye distance, and upward slanting eyes, some with epicanthus and bulging eyeballs; low nose bridge; small external ears; fat tongue that often sticks out of the mouth and drools a lot; small and round head circumference, large anterior fontanelle, fine and sparse hair; short and wide neck, and loose skin around the neck.

Why do babies with Down syndrome all look the same?

Many people are curious about why babies with Down syndrome do not inherit their parents’ appearance and seem to look the same?

The reason why Down syndrome babies are so similar is that they have an extra chromosome 21 compared to normal people. These chromosomes control their appearance, resulting in similar facial features, such as similar eyes, noses and head shapes, which visually make them look the same.

Therefore, in some areas, people with Down syndrome are also called international faces or international people.

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Are children of older mothers more likely to have Down syndrome?

Epidemiological survey results show that as the age of pregnant women increases, the incidence of Down syndrome increases. Why is this so?

The quality of women's egg cells will gradually decline with age. The chromosomes in the egg cells of women aged 35 and above are prone to non-disjunction, resulting in an increase or decrease in fetal chromosomes, thereby causing fetal chromosomal abnormalities, the most common of which is Down syndrome.

Therefore, relatively speaking, older pregnant women are more likely to give birth to babies with Down syndrome.

How to prevent children from developing Down syndrome?

Babies with Down syndrome have varying degrees of developmental delay, intellectual disability and other problems. Currently, there is no effective treatment.

Early rehabilitation intervention can improve the children's motor, intellectual and language functions.

It is recommended that children undergo comprehensive rehabilitation intervention as early as possible, using cognitive ability training, language ability training, daily living ability training, etc. At the same time, family and educational rehabilitation can be used to improve the social adaptability of Down syndrome babies, maximize the potential of children, and improve their quality of life.

How should we prevent children from developing Down syndrome?

Avoid giving birth at an advanced age: The older the mother is, the higher the risk.

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Genetic counseling: Pregnant women with a family history can undergo early screening during pregnancy to ensure good eugenics.

Prenatal diagnosis: Prenatal diagnosis is an effective measure to prevent the birth of children with Down syndrome.

Prevent hepatitis infection during pregnancy, avoid exposure to radiation and chemical drugs, etc.;

If we encounter people with Down syndrome around us

Please be more understanding

Show more respect and care!

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