Down Syndrome in Children - Essay Example

Down syndrome in Children Lecturer Disorder Overview Down syndrome is d after John Langdon Down, the physician first to identify the disorder. It is a chromosomal disorder that results from an error during cell division resulting in the presence of a third chromos 21. The presence of extra genetic material leads to delays in the way a child develops; physically and mentally. There are three types of this disorder: mosaicism, translocation and trisomy 21 (National Down Syndrome Society, 2012). According to statistics, this disorder affects one in every 700-900 babies. Persons suffering from this condition may exhibit varying developmental characteristics, although most of these characteristics are common (John Langdon Down Foundation, 2013). Persons suffering from the disorder are affected in many ways. First, in terms of motor functions, such persons may exhibit motor clumsiness, and hence carry out their activities slowly (National Down Syndrome Society, 2012). Secondly, such people have difficulties in perception, and they have better eyesight compared to the listening capability. Thirdly, this group suffers from intellectual disability, making it difficult to respond to various stimuli and is slow in interpreting information. Fourth, persons with Down syndrome have difficulties in verbal communication, and generally tend to use sign language often (John Langdon Down Foundation, 2013). Finally, such people find it difficult to pay attention for long periods of time. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths that surround this disorder and the persons suffering from it. Some of these myths include: that people suffering from the disease have a short lifespan, such people are severely retarded, people with the condition need to be institutionalized and Down syndrome is incurable (Scholastic Inc, 2010). These are misguided perceptions. As a result of such myths, people with Down syndrome suffer a number of stigmas in work and school settings (Pace, Shin and Rasmussen, 2010). Such people are usually isolated, perceived to be retarded and are usually deemed unfit to work or school with normal persons. Causes Down syndrome is caused by three main factors: genetic, biological and environmental. Genetically, this disorder comes about because of the genetic alteration in chromosomes during the process of fertilization, and this makes an extra chromosome of the 21st pair to expand (John Langdon Down Foundation, 2013). In this case, for persons with the disorder, some or all of their body cells contain 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. The presence of this additional genetic material is responsible for the slow development associated with persons with this disorder. Secondly, Down syndrome is also associated with advanced maternal age. Research has suggested that as a woman gets older, the probability that she will deliver a baby with this disorder increases (Sujay & Subrata, 2013). It is believed that as women age, the extended oogenesis process makes the eggs susceptible to the effect of aging. This leads to deteriorative changes to accumulate in the oocyte or the milieu (Sujay & Subrata, 2013). This increases the probability of Down syndrome. In addition, aging in women has been associated with increased rate of meiotic errors. These errors are believed to be as a result of hormonal imbalance in the ovary, and this increases the probability of the errors occurring. Finally, there are a number of environmental risk factors associated with this disorder. There are certain environmental pollutants associated with the occurrence of the disorder. For instance, some researchers have shown that the contamination of water with trichlorfon, which is a pesticide, causes the disorder (Sujay & Subrata, 2013). It has also been argued that the exposure to radioactive materials causes an increase in the errors during the process of oogenesis. However, the different environmental risk factors presented in research are still a matter of investigation. Other risk factors include maternal cigarette smoking and maternal tobacco use (Sujay & Subrata, 2013). Diagnostic Criteria This disorder can be diagnosed during pregnancy or after delivery. Antenatal screening may be used to detect this disease, where the woman is screened for the possibility of having the disorder. It is usually recommended for pregnant women to go for their antenatal screening at the end of the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy. This screening involves both ultrasound scan and blood test, and this is refers to as the combined test. If the chance of the disorder is shown to be high at this stage, prenatal diagnostic tests may be carried out. The pre-natal diagnostic tests are the chronic villus sampling and the amniocentesis (National Health Institute, 2012). In Chorionic villus sampling (CVS), a small sample of the woman’s placenta is taken for testing, which helps show whether the baby has the disorder or not. This testing however is dangerous can lead to a miscarriage or infection. The Amniocentesis process on the other hand requires the examination of a small sample of the amniotic fluid (National Down Syndrome Society, 2012). Similarly, this test can be dangerous and may lead to infections and other complications. The diagnosis for the disorder can also be carried out after birth, where the initial diagnosis is based on the appearance of the baby. However, persons with the disorder may not exhibit obvious physical symptoms. This may require carrying out a specialized form of blood test referred to as chromosomal karyotype (National Health Institute, 2012). The chromosomes in the blood of the baby are analyzed to detect any abnormalities. Treatment Since this disorder is associated with chromosomes, there is no known cure of Down syndrome. The treatment of this disorder thus focuses on the medical conditions associated with this disorder. One of the treatment options is through surgery. This mainly focuses on the cardiac anomalies which usually occir during the first one and half months of life (Chen, 2013). Surgical repair is usually needed for the gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as annular pancreas, pyloric stenosis and imperforate anus. In addition, surgery may also be needed in order stabilize the upper section of the cervical spine. Furthermore, congenital cataracts are also common in children with this disorder, and this requires that the cataracts be extracted through surgery after birth (Chen, 2013). Unfortunately, surgery is usually a delicate and risky process since the patient may suffer as a result of other complications, mainly through infections. Secondly, this disorder may also be managed through medications. This mainly involves the provision of immunizations and other child care medications. Furthermore, medications are provided based on the manifestations of conditions associated with this disorder. For this reason, children with the disorder need to be given pneumonia and influenza vaccinations due to the high risk of respiratory and cardiac diseases (Chen, 2013). Health care givers are also encouraged to treat skin diseases and disorders by applying anti-biotic ointments. Children with the disorder are also protected against dental caries by ensuring proper dental hygiene and proper dietary habits. Education Learners with Down syndrome experience a number of challenges within and outside the classroom which affect learning. First, these students suffer from speech intelligibility where they find it difficult to communicate verbally, and this can be attributed to low muscle tone. This limits their participation and contribution in class. Secondly, learners with this disorder experience memory difficulties which make it challenging for them to process information like other learners. Thirdly, persons with the syndrome suffer from upper respiratory and sinus infections (Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, 2010). In addition, they may become sensitive to loud noises or vibrations. This might make them uncomfortable in the classroom. Fourth, many of those who suffer from the condition experience hearing and vision difficulties, and this affects their academic and social life. Finally, children with Down syndrome suffer congenital heart disease, and this may affect how they participate in classroom activities. Children with Down syndrome have unique educational needs in addition to the same needs as other students have. These include language and speech delay, delayed development of motor skills, and memory and verbal difficulties. A number of strategies may be used to meet these needs. First, such students can benefit from speech and language therapy (Bird & Buckley, 1999). This helps to improve their understanding and conversation skills. Secondly, teachers are encouraged to use visual aids such as photographs in order to enhance the students’ visual discrimination. Thirdly, in order to improve the student’s memory, teachers may use music and beat, and encourage singing and clapping. Such activities help students to remember sounds and words. Fourth, since such students may find it hard paying attention, teachers are encouraged to keep their lessons short and make use of lighting and cues to capture their attention. In addition, different colored backgrounds may also be used. Children with Down syndrome require participating in extracurricular activities at school in order to communicate and interact with other students (Bird & Buckley, 1999). These students should watch and participate in various school activities in order to enhance social learning. In addition, schools use the ‘circles’ approach to help such students find friends in order to avoid social isolation (Bird & Buckley, 1999). Personal Reflection Children with Down syndrome face a number of unique challenges in their daily lives. They suffer from a number of health complications, which makes it difficult for such children to perform certain activities. For such children, playing and socializing with others becomes difficult due to their physical, mental and behavioral challenges. Such children find it difficult to be accepted in schools, and this further aggravates the problem since they end up lacking the necessary social and moral support. Furthermore, there are very few qualified therapists in our schools and society who can help these children cope with the aforementioned challenges. Due to the impaired growth and development, children with this disorder might be victims of abuse and exploitation. After carrying out the research, my perception about the disease has changed slightly. Previously, I held the view that such children need to be segregated and enrolled in specialized schools. However, it is clear that educating these children together with other students helps to facilitate their learning. In addition, I have learnt that with continued support and care, children with this disorder can perform well academically and in life. Caretakers need to understand and closely monitor such children in order to understand their needs. It is vital for caretakers to encourage socialization as opposed to segregation. Continued use of symbols, images, sounds, music and extracurricular activities are some of the ways of enhancing learning and development for such children. There is need for the society to develop local centers that will help develop therapists to attend to such children. More importantly, public awareness campaigns to sensitize the community on this disorder will help to expel the myths that have surrounded the disorder and move towards social inclusion. I suggest the need for stiffer penalties and punishments for persons found guilty of mistreating, neglecting or abusing children with this disorder. References Bird, G and Buckley, S (1999). Meeting the Educational Needs of Pupils with Down Syndrome in Mainstream Secondary Schools. Down Syndrome News and Update, 1(4), pp. 159-174. Chen, H (2013). Down Syndrome Treatment & Management. Medscape. Retrieved on 13 March 2014 from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/943216-treatment#aw2aab6b6b6 Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (2010). Supporting the Student with Down Syndrome in Your Classroom. Educator Manual, pp. 1-50 John Langdon Down Foundation (2013). How does Down syndrome affect human development? Retrieved on 13 March 2014 from http://www.fjldown.org.mx/sindrome_de_down/como_afecta_al_desarrollo/como_afecta/ ?___store=english&___from_store=spanish National Down Syndrome Society (2012). Down Syndrome. Retrieved on 13 March 2014 from http://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/Down-Syndrome-Facts/ National Health Institute (2012). How do health care providers diagnose Down syndrome? Retrieved on 13 March 2013 from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down/conditioninfo/pages/diagnosed.aspx Pace, J, E., Shin, M and Rasmussen, S. A (2010). Understanding Attitudes Toward People With Down Syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A 152A:2185–2192 Scholastic Inc. (2010). Myths and Facts About Down Syndrome. Choices, pp. 1-2. Sujay G and Subrata K.D (2013). Risk Factors for Down Syndrome Birth: Understanding the Causes from Genetics and Epidemiology. Down Syndrome, Prof. Subrata Dey (Ed.). Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/down-syndrome/risk-factors-for- down- syndrome-birth-understanding-the-causes-from-genetics-and-epidemiology Read More