Medical care required for people with Down syndrome (1)

We knew that Down syndrome is a congenital condition, not a pathological one; that results from an extra chromosome (chromosome) number 21, which causes defects in mental and physical development of a child together with intellectual disability that varies in severity among from a child to another. It is not caused by environmental factors, or any practices before or during pregnancy, but the possibility of having a child with Down syndrome increases with the age of the parents.

Prevention:

There is no way to prevent Down syndrome, but in case of the presence of risk factors, parents should consult a geneticist before pregnancy.

 Babies are diagnosed with Down syndrome condition before or during birth. And in the case of being sure of the presence of the syndrome, parents should follow the periodic medical follow-up of the child to prevent complications that make the matter worse.

People with Down syndrome may suffer from some complications, including:

Heart disorders (congenital defects) – hearing problems (ear infections) and eyesight – thyroid problems (hypo-secretory) – weak immune system and exposure to infectious diseases – spine problems – mental illness – breathing problems during sleep.

Do people with Down syndrome live until a certain age?

These people live to advanced ages if medical care is provided to them and heart disease is treated. There are many of them over the age of forty. To document this, there is a seventy-year-old woman with Down syndrome.

Treatment and early intervention

The role of the currently available treatment is limited to developing the capabilities available to the child, and providing the services required for each stage of his life. Given that each patient is different from the other, it is very important that early intervention should be done for infants and children with Down syndrome, as the sooner we intervene, the better life we can provide to them.

Undoubtedly, early intervention helps greatly with infants and children with Down syndrome and makes a big difference in realizing their abilities. Specialists who have the ability to help children develop social skills, language, communication and self-help skills are resorted to in order to run motivational programs at an early age through sensory and cognitive activities.

How can I help my child who has Down syndrome?

It is normal for parents to experience psychological trauma when they discover that their child has Down syndrome; because they do not know the reason behind it, what will happen to their child, and how they will take care of him.

There are three procedures that specialists advise parents to take as soon as they discover that their child has Down syndrome, which are:

1- Providing the best health care for the child through a team of health care specialists, teachers and therapists.

2 – Benefiting from experiences of people (joining support groups with families who have similar experiences with children with Down syndrome).

Not believing in incorrect statements about Down syndrome, such as:

• People with Down syndrome are unable to learn

It has been proven that people with Down syndrome are able to learn when there are motives, hence they can reach much higher levels than expected. Most of people with Down syndrome live with their families, go to schools, and have a variety of jobs.

• People with Down syndrome have severe mental deficiencies.

In fact, the degree of deficiency varies among people with Down syndrome from mild to severe, but the majority has moderate deficiency.

Is there a cure?

There is no comprehensive cure, but after treating health problems, if any, the process of rehabilitating and educating these children is the most important thing that can be provided to them after that. The result depends on the amount of effort put into the child.

Wait for the next article

What are the best methods of dealing with a person with Down syndrome besides therapeutic and educational intervention to improve the life of a person with Down syndrome as an individual and as a family.