Down syndrome why look alike

Some of the more common health problems among children with Down syndrome are listed below. Down syndrome is a lifelong condition. Services early in life will often help babies and children with Down syndrome to improve their physical and intellectual abilities. Most of these services focus on helping children with Down syndrome develop to their full potential.

These services include speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and they are typically offered through early intervention programs in each state. Children with Down syndrome may also need extra help or attention in school, although many children are included in regular classes. The views of these organizations are their own and do not reflect the official position of CDC. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Birth Defects. Unfortunately, the average life expectancy for an African-American in the U.

This appalling statistic deserves the full attention of our government and scientific community. Reality : An inability to walk is not a characteristic of Down syndrome. However, getting early physical therapy to ensure proper walking is important and builds the foundation for sports aptitude. Individuals with Down syndrome have a variety of athletic abilities and levels of agility, in the same way that typical people do. All over the world, there are sports teams that include people with Down syndrome including through Special Olympics.

Reality : The majority of children with Down syndrome can learn to read and write. More research is needed to determine how to most effectively teach children with Down syndrome to read and write. Reality : It is not only advisable that children with Down syndrome attend their public schools, in the U. IDEA stipulates that all children with disabilities must have available to them a free, appropriate public education that meets their unique needs and prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Further, studies show that including students with disabilities in the classroom improves the academic progress of students without disabilities. Reality : People with Down syndrome absolutely feel pain. Reaction to pain is not always apparent; for example, a study published in the medical journal, Lancet, suggests that such individuals express pain more slowly and less precisely than the rest of us.

Parents and guardians need to be firm with the medical community and insist that people with Down syndrome be given the same types of pain-control procedures as a typical person, even in the absence of obvious signs of pain.

Reality : Many but not all people with Down syndrome share common features. The question of which genes are directly correlated with the similar appearances of Down Syndrome patients is still a mystery.

Down Syndrome children are still possibly the cutest things ever. I have also wondered this for a long time, and I have also noticed that there is a similar appearance in dwarfism as well. Not only do they look similar, but people with dwarfism also look older than the age they actually are, especially children with dwarfism.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which there is an extra full or partial chromosome For most people with Down syndrome, this anomaly causes a host of distinctive physical characteristics as well as potential health and medical problems. The exception are those who have the relatively rare form of Down syndrome called mosaic Down syndrome, in which not all cells have an extra chromosome A person with this type of Down syndrome may have all the features of full trisomy 21, a few of them, or none at all.

Many characteristics of full trisomy 21 are quite noticeable—a round face and upturned eyes, and a short, stocky build, for example.

People with Down syndrome sometimes move awkwardly, usually due to low muscle tone hypotonia at birth that can interfere with physical development. Down syndrome also is associated with developmental delays and intellectual challenges, though it's important to remember that the extent of these varies widely.

Technically speaking, parents and doctors look for signs of Down syndrome, rather than symptoms. These may be seen once a child is born or, in some cases, in utero. The first indication a child might have Down syndrome can appear during routine prenatal testing.

In a maternal blood test called the quadruple screen, elevated levels of certain substances can be a red flag for Down syndrome but do not mean a baby definitely has the disorder. On an ultrasound an image of a developing fetus, also called a sonogram , visible signs a baby may have Down syndrome include:. These signs prompt health providers to recommend an amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling CVS , both prenatal tests that examine cells taken from the amniotic fluid or the placenta, respectively and that can confirm a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Some parents opt for these tests, while others do not. People with Down syndrome share a host of recognizable facial and physical features. These are most apparent at birth and can become more pronounced with time. Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions. All people with Down syndrome have some degree of intellectual disability or developmental delay, which means they tend to learn slowly and may struggle with complex reasoning and judgment.

There's a common misconception that children with Down syndrome have predetermined limits in their ability to learn, but this is entirely false. It's impossible to predict the degree to which a baby born with Down syndrome will be intellectually disadvantaged. What is certain is that people with Down syndrome have the potential to learn throughout their lifetimes and that their potential can be maximized through early intervention , good education, high expectations, and encouragement from family, caregivers, and teachers.

Children with Down syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different pace. People with Down syndrome often are regarded as particularly happy, sociable, and outgoing.

While in general, this may be true, it's important to not stereotype them, even when it comes to labeling them with such positive characteristics.

People who have Down syndrome experience a full range of emotions and have their own characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and styles—just like anyone else.

There are some behaviors associated with Down syndrome that are largely due to the unique challenges the condition presents. For example, most people with Down syndrome tend to need order and routine when dealing with the complexities of daily life.

They thrive on routine and will often insist on sameness. This can be interpreted as innate stubbornness, but that's rarely what's going on. Another behavior often seen in people with Down syndrome is self-talk—something everyone does sometimes. It's thought that people with Down syndrome frequently use self-talk as a way of processing information and thinking things through.

As you can see, it's hard to separate out some of the signs of Down syndrome from its potential complications. Keep in mind, though, that while many of the above issues pose undeniable concern, others simply chart a course for an individual that is out of "the norm.

That said, people with Down syndrome are more likely than otherwise healthy people to have certain physical and mental health issues. Care throughout one's life can be complicated by these additional concerns.