Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.38

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		crease, hands-on, housing, inclusion, leukemia, nondisjunction, parental, pulling-out, push-in, survival, profile, commonly, various, successful, sequence, employment
	content words:		Down Syndrome, Jerome Lejeune, United States, Disabilities Act, In May

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Down Syndrome
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     Have you ever heard of Down Syndrome? Do you know what Down Syndrome is? It is a developmental disorder. It causes certain characteristics to occur. Those with the disorder often experience more medical problems than others.

²     What causes Down Syndrome? In 95% of those with the disorder, faulty cell division creates three number 21 chromosomes instead of two. That is called nondisjunction. The chance of having a child with Down Syndrome increases with the age of the mother, but the cause of nondisjunction is still unknown. A 35 year old mother has a 1 in 400 chance of having a Down Syndrome child. A 40 year old mother has a 1 in 110 chance. A 45 year old mother has a 1 in 35 chance.

³     In 1959, Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered that the cause of Down Syndrome was an extra 21st chromosome. It is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. It is often called Trisomy 21. Twenty-five percent of miscarriages are caused by trisomy. How common is Down Syndrome? One in every 1,000 children born has it.

⁴     In the United States, 350,000 families are affected by this disorder. Around 5,000 babies are born each year with it.

⁵     When a baby is born, certain characteristics often indicate the appearance of Down Syndrome. There is often low muscle tone, flat facial profile, upward slant to the eyes, abnormal shape of the ear, single deep crease across the center of the palm, excessive ability to extend joints, and enlargement of the tongue.

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