Down syndrome is a condition caused by excess genetic material that can interfere with a child’s physical and mental development. It is thought to affect 1 in 800 babies born each year.
It is believed that Down’s syndrome is determined at the moment of conception. While it can’t be prevented, but it can be detected.
Causes and Risk Factors
At conception, a fetus acquires 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father, for a total of 46 chromosomes. Down syndrome is marked by the acquisition of a 47th chromosome.
Types of Down’s syndrome are:
- Trisomy 21-nine out of 10 babies with Down syndrome have this type of the condition. It is identified when a third copy of trisomy 21 is found in cells, instead of the normal two copies.
- Mosaic Down Syndrome-this is a very rare type of the condition where only some cells have the extra copy of trisomy 21
- Translocation Down syndrome-also an uncommon type of the condition, translocation down syndrome is indicated when part of chromosome 21 becomes attached (translocated) to another chromosome.
Risk factors include:
- Women getting pregnant when older (35+ is generally the tipping point)
- Family history or having another child with Down syndrome
- Being a carrier of the genetic marker indicating a likelihood of Down syndrome.
Symptoms
Down syndrome is recognized by these symptoms:
- Flattened facial features
- Small head
- Short neck
- Slanting eyes
- Abnormally shaped ears
- Unusually short fingers
- Excessive flexibility
- Poor muscle tone
- Single crease in the palm of the hand
Healing Options
It’s recommended to use a combination of therapies to assist children with Down syndrome. Early intervention helps the child cope with every day life, and eventual semi-independence.
Consider:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Other therapies that help the child finds beneficial
Dietary Intervention
If you truly are concerned about Down syndrome, consume plenty of seaweeds such as:
- Blue Green algae
- Spirulina
- Chlorella
- Dules
- Kelp
- Irish Moss
- Bladderwrack
- Iceland Moss
Be sure to drink plenty of crystal water made with gemstones or crystals of Moss Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Herkimer Quartz, Clear Quartz, Lepidolite, Sugilite (Luvulite) and/or Zincite.
Compliments of www.dherbs.com.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
