Down Syndrome, Essay Example

Down syndrome is alternatively known to be a chromosomal condition which associates directly with intellectual disability (Epstein, 2006). The Disorder carries with it poor muscle tone in infancy and a characteristic facial appearance (Dykens, 2007). Patients suffering the disorder, however, have varying degrees of intellectual disability. Medical practitioners, however, classify the levels of Intellect as either being mild or moderate in a patient suffering the disorder (Epstein, 2006). Normally, people born with Down syndrome suffer a number of birth defects (Dykens, 2007). Statistics indicate that almost past half of all children born with this genetic disorder suffer a heart defect (Dykens, 2007). Among other abnormalities common in children with this disorder are digestive abnormalities, in which the medical practitioners describe as a blockage to the intestine (Epstein, 2006). However, these abnormalities are not exceedingly common.

Conversely, Individuals suffering this genetic disorder have an increased risk of suffering other medical conditions which develop to the extremes (Dykens, 2007). The conditions most common include gastro esophageal reflux, described as an acidic stomach contents backflow into the esophagus, and other serious cases of celiac disease, described as an intolerance of a wheat protein normally referred to as gluten (Epstein, 2006).

Most cases of this genetic disorder result from Trisomy 21, meaning that each human cell in the body develops three copies of direct chromosome 21 and not the usual two copies (Dykens, 2007). The extra generated chromosome is descried as a genetic material which causes disruptions of the normal course of growth and development, and thus resulting to characteristic features of this genetic disorder referred to as Down syndrome (Epstein, 2006). As opposed to many arguments, Down syndrome is not inherited but rather a biological genetic disorder (Dykens, 2007).

References

Dykens, E. (2007). Psychiatric and behavioral disorders in persons with Down syndrome. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13 (3): 272–8.

Epstein, C. (2006). Down’s syndrome: critical genes in a critical region. Nature, 441 (7093): 582–3.