Symptoms of Down syndrome patients

Speaking of Down syndrome, I believe many friends are familiar with it and have heard of it. This disease is also called congenital idiocy or Down syndrome. It is a disease caused by chromosomal abnormalities (an extra chromosome 21). 60% of the affected children are aborted in the early fetus, and the survivors have obvious intellectual disability, special facial features, growth and development disorders and multiple deformities. So this is a disease that seriously threatens the health of the fetus. What are the clinical manifestations of this disease? Let’s take a look at the relevant introduction below:

1. The children have obvious special facial features, such as wide-set eyes, low nasal root, small palpebral fissures, upward slanting eyes, epicanthus, small external ears, fat tongue that often sticks out of the mouth, and excessive drooling. He is short in stature, with a smaller head circumference than normal, short front and back diameters of the head, and a flat head with a flat occipital region. Short neck and loose skin. Bone age often lags behind age, and tooth eruption is delayed and often misaligned. The hair is fine and sparse. The anterior fontanelle closes late, and a third fontanelle may appear in the midline of the parietal-occipital area. The limbs are short. Due to loose ligaments, the joints can bend excessively. The fingers are thick and short. The middle phalanx of the little finger is underdeveloped, causing the little finger to bend inward. The phalanges are short, and the trifurcation of the palm is displaced distally. It is common to see through palm lines and straw sandal feet. About half of the children have arched skin lines on the ball of the big toe.

2. They often experience lethargy and difficulty feeding. Their mental retardation becomes increasingly apparent with age, with an IQ of 25 to 50. Their motor and sexual development are delayed.

3. Male babies with Down syndrome will not be able to reproduce when they grow up to puberty. Female babies with Down syndrome will have menstruation when they grow up and may have children.

4. Children with this disease often have other malformations such as congenital heart disease. Due to their low immune function, they are susceptible to various infections, and the incidence of leukemia is 10 to 30 times higher than normal. If they survive into adulthood, they often develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease after the age of 30.

The above introduction is what the editor has collected from experts about the symptoms related to Down syndrome. I hope these introductions will help everyone better understand this disease. Patients with Down syndrome need help and care from everyone and the entire society, so each of us must be able to face this disease squarely and not discriminate against them. At the same time, the editor reminds all young parents who want to have children to learn more about relevant knowledge and do a good job in eugenics and good parenting.