What Is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is characterized by flatter face, upward sloping eyes, to a somewhat level of mental retardation. This may be associated with some physiological problems such as heart problems. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder. Actually chromosomes are one of the fundamental units of a cell, consisting of gene, which determines our development including each and every feature associated with the system. Now in normal case, there are 23 pairs of chromosome, that is, a total of 46 chromosomes in each cell. But someone with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome, that is, he or she has 47 chromosomes instead of 46. This extra chromosome creates all the problems in the way of their development. Statistics say that 1 among 800 babies are born with Down syndrome. This is neither a contagious disease nor one can develop later in life. This is purely caused by chromosomal imbalance and the victim is born with that. Most of the cases, an individual with Down syndrome has more diseases associated with it such as heart problem, stomach problem or even leukaemia. The associated problems in Down syndrome can be treated but till today there is no such effective treatment for Down syndrome. But research is ongoing to find out the ways to prevent or improve the life styles of individuals suffering from Down syndrome.