World Down Syndrome Day: Even living in the 21st century, there still needs to be more awareness about Down Syndrome.
World Down Syndrome Day 2023: Our bodies are intriguing but complex places with no answers to questions. Everyone’s body is different and responds differently to different environments. There is so much going on inside that body that it is sometimes beyond our comprehension. Too much or too little of a few cells, vitamins, minerals, or chromosomes can also cause certain changes in the body. One of those conditions is known as Down Syndrome, and World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21 of each year. It is a global awareness day that was officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. On this day, the community aims to talk about the rights of people with this disability, inclusion and spread awareness.
What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when people are born with extra chromosomes. Chromosomes are genetic material that passes genes from parent to child and can affect brain development. There’s the extra chromosome 21.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a fairly common genetic chromosome disorder and a cause of learning problems in children. It also commonly causes other medical abnormalities, including heart and gastrointestinal disorders.
A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is ‘trisomy’. Down syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21.
In general, people with down syndrome have these characteristics:
- A flattened face feature
- a short neck
- Possibly a protruding tongue
- Tiny white spots on the iris
- little hands and feet
- A single line on the palm of the hand or in the palmar crease
- They are said to be quite flexible.
- Poor muscle tone or loose joints
- Shorter in stature of children and adults.
Apart from this, several people with this genetic disorder may also have other cognitive disabilities, eye, vision and hearing problems.
There is still no adequate research to support why this extra chromosome 21 is present or what factors cause it. However, some believe that more children with down syndrome are born to pregnant women older than 35 years. But again, according to the CDC, “most babies with Down syndrome are born to mothers younger than 35, because there are many more births to younger women.”
There are several people who have achieved so much despite the disabilities they encounter in life. People like Jamie Brewer, Sujeet Desai are models that are breaking barriers. And we must celebrate them and encourage more people with Down Syndrome to get what they want.
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