21 March is World Down Syndrome Day, and you might be asking yourself “what is that?”
Down syndrome is a birth defect that’s caused by the development of an extra chromosome. It’s important to understand that down syndrome is not an illness – rather, it describes the change in the person’s genetic structure.
Down syndrome tends to affect a person’s physical growth and mental development, and it can also lead to:
Stunted growth
the person is likely to have low muscle tone and be short in build.
High risk of other ailments
for instance, many people with down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s and epilepsy over time.
Health problems
depending on how it’s affected the person’s development, it can lead to different health problems in different people.
Intellectual disability
babies with down syndrome often take longer to learn to talk, and battle with logic and learning.
Down syndrome doesn’t affect everyone the same and some people might have more severe developmental struggles than others. Despite these challenges, most people with down syndrome can live a normal life, attending school as a child and working a regular job.
Remember!
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