Why is Down's Syndrome commonly called "Mongolism"? And why is it called "Down's Syndrome"?
This condition was reported on as early as 1866 by the British doctor John Langdon Down. Because the special feature of the faces of those afflicted are a flat face, small eyes, with a collapsed bridge of the nose, so that "their appearance is like that of an Asian," it was christened "Mongolism." It was only in 1959 that the medical world proved that Mongolism was caused by chromosome mutation, and is unrelated to race. Because the term Mongolism is disrespectful to Asians, the name was changed to that of its discoverer, and thus called "Down's Syndrome."
Is it true that the life expectancy of those with Down's is shorter, and the best that can be hoped for is to live to thirty?
The resistance to illness among children with Down's is poor, and they easily catch infections. Add to this that many of those with Down's suffer compound illnesses, with half having congenital heart problems, with others possibly having irregularly shaped intestines, leukemia, abnormal functioning of the thyroid, and other conditions, which can easily be fatal. But with medical progress, many of these compound problems can be treated, and the life of expectancy of Down's sufferers correspondingly lengthened to between 50 and 60, 10 to 20 years less than ordinary people.
Is Down's Syndrome genetic? Can it be infectious?
Down's is the result of mutation in chromosomes acquired in inherited genes, and thus is a type of genetic illness. It is not communicable. Nevertheless, 95% of those who are afflicted with Down's do not get it genetically, as the chromosomes of the parents are normal; rather there is an abnormal division at the time the sperm joins the egg, so that the fetus has one more of the 21st chromosome than ordinary people. (See illustration below.)
Generally speaking, for this type of non-genetic Down's, the rate at which mothers will give birth to another Down's-affected child in a future birth is one in 10O, higher than for women in general.
Further, one percent are of the "mosaicism" type. In this variation, the body simultaneously has cells with 46 chromosomes and others with 47 chromosomes. The cause of this is that at the time the fertilized egg divides, one of the chromosomes doesn't.
The only kind that can be transmitted by the parents is the "translocational" type. This type accounts for about 4% of Down's syndrome sufferers. The cause is that the structure of the 21st chromosome divides, and an additional 21st attaches itself to another chromosome when the sperm and egg are joined.
Are those with Down's less mentally capable?
One of the symptoms of Down's is lower mental capacity. Generally speaking, Down's victims are considered moderately retarded, with IQs aver aging in the range from 45 to 57. The IQ of an ordinary child is about 100. An IQ of from 50 to 70 is considered mildly retarded; the focus of education is similar to that of ordinary children, with more emphasis on practical applied learning. People with IQs from 35 to 50 are classified as moderately retarded, with the focus of education placed on taking care of one's own daily necessities, communication with others, developing job skills, and basic knowledge. For those of IQs from 20 to 35, considered seriously retarded, after treatment and special education, most can learn the techniques for getting along with others. Below 20 is considered extremely seriously retarded, and such individuals must rely on the help of others in all aspects of life.
Are children with Down's more likely to strike others and be violently inclined?
Children with Down's are extremely friendly and guileless. Not only are they not inclined to be violent, they are unlikely to raise a fuss for no reason or for their own advantage, and are very happy to play together with other children, such as pulling others into the game or sharing food. But because they express themselves in a direct manner, and do not understand how to be diplomatic or when to desist, they give people the incorrect impression that they want to force other children to do something even if the others don't want to.
Besides this, children with Down's syndrome will feel unsafe or anxious in closed spaces. Most people do not understand this special aspect, so misunderstandings can easily arise.
Are children with Down's less clean, for example drooling saliva?
One of the special characteristics of Down's syndrome is an enlarged tongue that protrudes from the mouth. The large tongue often leads to the mouth being open, so that saliva runs out. But if the child is taught hygiene from an early age, and taught to pull his or her tongue back into the mouth, keeping the mouth closed, then the problem of saliva running out can be avoided.
Is it the case that if the mother is older the child will more likely have Down's?
It is almost accepted truth that it is more likely that older mothers will produce a child with Down's, but children with Down's are by no means limited only to older mothers. Women in their twenties can also have babies with the condition, though the rate is lower. Statistically; the rate at which women aged 35 give birth to children with Down's is one in 370. The rate for 25-year-olds is one in 1250.
But the percentage of women who give birth who are 35 or over is small--less than 4%--plus the fact that, under the terms of the Genetic Health Law, the government subsidizes amniocentesis during pregnancy, so that the absolute number of babies born with Down's is still fewer than to women under 35.
Can Down's be prevented?
The reason for mutation of chromosomes is not clear, so it is virtually impossible to prevent. But the birth of a child with Down's can be "avoided."
First one must have a pregnancy program. Doctors suggest that women have all their children before the age of 34. The second thing is prenatal checkups. Women can have amniocentesis done from the 16th to the 18th week of pregnancy to have the chromosomes of the fetus checked so that Down's can be discovered early on.
