Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This extra genetic material causes the developmental changes and physical features of Down syndrome.

Down syndrome varies in severity among individuals, causing lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays. It is the most common genetic chromosomal disorder and cause of learning disabilities in children. It also commonly causes other medical abnormalities, including heart and gastrointestinal disorders.

Better understanding of Down syndrome and early interventions can greatly increase the quality of life for children and adults with this disorder and help them live fulfilling lives.

SYMPTOMS OF DOWN SYNDROME

Each person with Down syndrome is an individual —

intellectual and developmental problems may be mild, moderate or severe.

Some people are healthy while others have significant health problems such as serious heart defects.

Children and adults with Down syndrome have distinct facial features.

some of the more common features include:

• Flattened face
• Small head
• Short neck
• Protruding tongue
• Upward slanting eye lids (palpebral fissures)
• Unusually shaped or small ears
• Poor muscle tone
• Broad, short hands with a single crease in the palm
• Relatively short fingers and small hands and feet
• Excessive flexibility
• Tiny white spots on the colored part (iris) of the eye called Brushfield's spots
• Short height

Infants with Down syndrome may be average size but typically they grow slowly and remain shorter than other children the same age.

CAUSES OF DOWN SYNDROME

Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair comes from our father, the other from our mother.

Down syndrome results when abnormal cell division involving chromosome 21 occurs. These cell division abnormalities result in an extra partial or full chromosome 21. This extra genetic material is responsible for the characteristic features and developmental problems of Down syndrome. Any one of three genetic variations can cause Down syndrome:

• Trisomy 21 - About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21 — the person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.
• Mosaic Down syndrome - In this rare form of Down syndrome, a person has only some cells with an extra copy of chromosome 21. 
• Translocation Down syndrome - Down syndrome can also occur when a portion of chromosome 21 becomes attached Into another chromosome, before or at conception. These children have the usual two copies of chromosome 21, but they also have additional genetic material from chromosome 21 attached to another chromosome.

Is it inherited ?

Most of the time, Down syndrome isn't inherited. It's caused by a mistake in cell division during early development of the fetus.

RISK FACTORS

Some parents have a greater risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. Risk factors include:

• Advancing maternal age-A woman's chances of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increase with age because older ages have a greater risk of improper chromosome division.
• A woman's risk of conceiving a child with Down syndrome increases after 35 years of age.
• However,most children with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 because younger women have far more babies.
• Being carriers of the genetic translocation for Down syndrome- Both men and women can pass the genetic translocation for Down syndrome on to their children.
• Having had one child with Down syndrome-Parents who have one child with Down syndrome and parents who have a translocation themselves are at an increased risk of having another child with Down syndrome. A genetic counselor can help parents assess the risk of having a second child with Down syndrome.

COMPLICATIONS OF DOWN SYNDROME

People with Down syndrome can have a variety of complications, some of which become more prominent as they get older. These complications can include:

• Heart defects- About half the children with Down syndrome are born with some type of congenital heart defect.
• Gastrointestinal (GI) defects - GI abnormalities occur in some children with Down syndrome and may include abnormalities of the intestines, esophagus, trachea and anus. The risk of developing digestive problems, such as GI blockage, heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux) or celiac disease, may be increased.
• Immune disorders - Because of abnormalities in their immune systems, people with Down syndrome are at increased risk of developing autoimmune disorders, some forms of cancer, and infectious diseases, such as pneumonia.
• Sleep apnea - Because of soft tissue and skeletal changes that lead to the obstruction of their airways, children and adults with Down syndrome are at greater risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
• Obesity-People with Down syndrome have a greater tendency to be obese compared with the general population.
• Spinal problems - Some people with Down syndrome may have a misalignment of the top two vertebrae in the neck (atlantoaxial instability). This condition puts them at risk of serious injury to the spinal cord from overextension of the neck.
• Leukemia - Young children with Down syndrome have an increased risk of leukemia.
• Dementia - People with Down syndrome have a greatly increased risk of dementia signs and symptoms may begin around age 50. Having Down syndrome also increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
• Other problems - Down syndrome may also be associated with other health conditions, including endocrine problems, dental problems, seizures, ear infections, and hearing and vision problems.

For people with Down syndrome, getting routine medical care and treating issues when needed can help with maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Life SPAN

Life spans have increased dramatically for people with Down syndrome. Today, someone with Down syndrome can expect to live more than 60 years, depending on the severity of health problems.

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR DOWN SYNDROME

Homeopathic Treatment depend upon the totality of symptoms and cause of the diease.Through a holistic approach,the aim is to find out the deviations from health. As in case of Down syndrome, because of the presence of an extra gene,the characteristic physical and mental symptoms appear. Now,this genetic makeup can not be altered but the expressions can.The identification of cause can be of great help. Homeopathically in such cases, the prenatal and family history is very important.There are many medicines in homeopathy which are prescribed according to the prenatal, natal, past and family history. 

Constitutional – Individualized Medicine: The term constitutional and individualized medicines are commonly used in homeopathy. The aim of constitutional treatment is to find out the best possible individualized remedy for a case. The aim of such treatment is to improve the immune system as a whole so that a person with Down syndrome does not catch the infection, allergies and other diseases easily and also the recurrent tendency to a particular disease can also be reduced.

Acute – Chronic Diseases: In Down syndrome,there may be acute diseases, acute exacerbation of chronic disease and recurrent presentation of chronic diseases. Therefore,if we study the in-depth of a case we know the difference between an acute condition and acute presentation of a chronic disease.

Following medicines are commonly used in homeopathy as constitutional or specific or both in Down syndrome individuals:

• Baryta carb
• Calcarea carb
• Calcarea phos
• Causticum
• Phosphorus
• Silicea
• Syphilinum
• Thuja occidentalis
• Tuberculinum

NEUROPLUS