Question

Mention four symptoms of Down’s syndrome.

Answer 1

Hint:Set of medical signs and symptoms which are correlated with each other and often associated with a particular disease or disorder is known as syndrome.Down’s syndrome is usually associated with delay in physical growth and mild mental disabilities.

Complete answer:
Down’s syndrome is a chromosomal disorder. It occurs due to the occurrence of chromosomal abbreviation. It is also known as trisomy 21, due to presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The extra chromosome can totally occur by chance, there is no known behavioural activity or environmental factor that induces the occurrence of syndrome. Physical growth delays and mild to moderate disability can be observed in an intellectual manner, and can be characterized by distinct facial features. A young adult with Down syndrome has an IQ equivalent to the mental ability of an 8-9 year old child, but this can vary widely.
Following are the symptoms of this syndrome which can be grouped as-
>Physical- small chin, slanted eyes, protruding tongue as it is relatively larger than the mouth, poor muscle tone, flat nasal bridge, flat and wide face, a short neck, a single crease in the palm, extra flexible joints, extra space between toes, abnormal fingerprint patterns and short fingers.
>Neurological- Intellect disability, latency in developing abilities such as crawling, walking, stuttering, some adults lose the ability to speak, mental disorders such as autism, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, etc.
>Senses- hearing and vision problems, glaucoma, brushfield spots, severe ear infections, etc.
>Others- heart diseases, infertility, hormonal imbalance, several types of cancer, etc.

Note:It is a cureless disorder, the condition of affected individuals can be improved by education and proper care. Some children with Down syndrome are educated in typical school classes, while others may require special classes. Lifespan of around 50 to 60 years can be expected in the developed world with proper health care and support.