Down syndrome is a genetic disease that manifests itself in children who happen to be born with one more chromosome than those possessed by normal human beings (Zemel et al., 2015).The clinical presentation of this disorder is in form of delayed mental and physical development. Usually, a person with the disorder might have difficulties in thinking, reasoning as well as understanding (Malak et al., 2015). The physical symptoms include one possessing a short neck while at the same time having excess skin at the back, some organs such as the head and ears could be small, short hands and fingers that are mostly wide among others. The mental symptoms include slow learning as well as a short attention span, slow learning, acting on impulse among others. Although they might not suffer from any other major health condition, some might have peripheral health conditions such as heart disease and hearing problems (Bermudez et al., 2015). Also, they might suffer from nutritional related disorders such as obesity and mineral deficiency (Mazurek, Dominika & Wyka, 2015). To ascertain that an individual suffers from this disorder, screening and diagnostic tests have to be carried out (Carlson, Laura & Vora, 2017). There is no specific cure or long-lasting treatment for Down syndrome. However, there are different approaches that can be used to manage it (Vacca et al., 2016). Due to the challenges that are there in the development of preventive treatment, management using ways such as cognitive therapy are mostly used (Hartley et al., 2015). Besides the above, treatment of other diseases that come with this disorder, for example, heart disease and obesity is another approach (Dimopoulos, Konstantinos, & Kempny, 2016).
References
Bermudez, B. E. B. V., Medeiros, S. L., Bermudez, M. B., Novadzki, I. M., & Magdalena, N. I. R. (2015). Down syndrome: Prevalence and distribution of congenital heart disease in Brazil. Sao Paulo Medical Journal , 133 (6), 521-524.
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Carlson, L. M., & Vora, N. L. (2017). Prenatal diagnosis: Screening and diagnostic tools. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics , 44 (2), 245-256.
Dimopoulos, K., & Kempny, A. (2016). Patients with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease: survival is improving, but challenges remain.
Hartley, D., Blumenthal, T., Carrillo, M., DiPaolo, G., Esralew, L., Gardiner, K., ... & Lott, I. (2015). Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease: Common pathways, common goals. Alzheimer's & Dementia , 11 (6), 700-709.
Malak, R., Kostiukow, A., Krawczyk-Wasielewska, A., Mojs, E., & Samborski, W. (2015). Delays in motor development in children with Down syndrome. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research , 21 , 1904.
Mazurek, D., & Wyka, J. (2015). Down syndrome-genetic and nutritional aspects of accompanying disorders. Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny , 66 (3).
Moran, K. (2018). Informational Handout for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome in Tanzania (or other Developing Countries).
Vacca, R. A., Valenti, D., Caccamese, S., Daglia, M., Braidy, N., & Nabavi, S. M. (2016). Plant polyphenols as natural drugs for the management of Down syndrome and related disorders. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews , 71 , 865-877.
Zemel, B. S., Pipan, M., Stallings, V. A., Hall, W., Schadt, K., Freedman, D. S., & Thorpe, P. (2015). Growth charts for children with Down syndrome in the United States. Pediatrics , 136 (5), e1204.
