What is Down Syndrome - Free Essay Example

Did you know older women(40+) are more than likely to have a baby with Down Syndrome than younger women(30 and under) is!! Down Syndrome was a big deal during the 20th century and it is still a big deal know. The main ideas are What down syndrome is, What are the statistics of DS and the history.What is Down Syndrome? Down Syndrome (DS) is when the human body has 23 pairs chromosomes and there is an extra of chromosome 21. One gets 23 chromosomes from each parent. The additional genetic material shifts the course of development and causes characteristics of Down Syndrome. According to, The National Down Syndrome Society, About 6,000 babies with down syndrome are born in the United States each year. Some physical traits of Down Syndrome are low muscle tones, small stature, etc. Beth Stanley says, I participate as an Athlete Ambassador because I want to set a good example for my three daughters as an active woman that supports and encourages others in their goals. Having Down Syndrome is like being born normal. I am just like you and you are just like me. We are all born in different ways, that is the way I can describe it. I have a normal life, said by Chris Burke, a down syndrome person is like everyone else. Down Syndrome to is about someone being more unique then us and not thinking they are perfect like we think we are perfect. They know they are not like us and they dont care because they are perfect the way they are.DS continues to be the most common chromosomal disorder. 1 in every 700 born has Down Syndrome. Between 1979 and 2003, the numbers of babies expanded by 30%. Williams, 2The prevalence of Down Syndrome increases as the mothers age increases (Occurrence of Down Syndrome in the U.S.) In 2002, about 1 out of 1,200 people living in America had DS in 2008. Between 1960 and 2007 life expectancy of people with Down Syndrome increased. In 1960, people with Down Syndrome lived to be 10 years old. In 2007, people with Down Syndrome lived to be about 47 years old. Sometimes babies with Down Syndrome can be born weighing less than 3.3lbs. Its called very low birth weight. DS has a lot of statistics but it doesnt matter because everyone who is born with Down Syndrome is the same.Down Syndrome goes back very far in 1866 British physician, John Langdon Down, which is who down syndrome is named after. Down Syndrome was first known as Mongolism. The name Down Syndrome did not become official until the early 1970s. Lots more were learned in 1959 when French Pediatrician/Geneticist Professor Jerome Lejeune realized that people with DS had an extra chromoso me. Not too long after, chromosome studies were conducted to confirm Down Syndrome. For the first half of the twentieth century in the U.S., the larger part of children with DS was put in institutions usually right after birth. According to The origins of the Term Down Syndrome, These were warehoused in large state institutions- often in deplorable conditions- locked away so that the rest of the society could not see the horror of the lives. Down Syndrome goes back years and years and hopefully one day we can find a cure(not that we need one).What is Down Syndrome, what are the statistics and What is the history of Down Syndrome? It is important because it causes lifelong developmental issues and it makes it hard to learn sometimes.