Mongolism/Down Syndrome

Mongolism / down syndrome impacts mild to severe on a child. As it is a hereditary disorder with physical signs of a small head, flattened face, short neck, up-slanted eyes, low-set ears, enlarged tongue and lips, and slopping under the chin. With this, a child may have poor muscle tone, heart or kidney malformations, and abnormal dermal ridge patterns on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It is also named trisomy 21.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms vary from person to person as in some cases it can be mild, moderate, or severe. Some of the most common signs include:

• Excessive flexibility.

• Tiny white spots on the coloured part of the eye.

• Short height.

• Unusually body shape.

• Behavior problems.

• Learning disorders.

• Obesity.

Prevention

As it is a genetic disorder so there is no such way to prevent it. But if anyone has a higher risk of it or has any family member who survives this condition then a person should have to consult a doctor before getting pregnant. They may also take advice from a genetic consultant.

Also, some genetic variations can cause this:

• Trisomy21

• Mosaic down syndrome

• Translocation of down syndrome

Treatments:

In modern science, it may not be curable. But in Neurotherapy, the special therapies which are used by therapists such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. can treat each child’s specific situation and help to manage it. It does not base on a single standard treatment, it treats according to the situation, personal strength, and limitations of an individual.