Down syndrome is named after
John Langdon Down
, a British physician who first fully described the characteristics of the syndrome in 1866. Some countries, most notably the U.K. and Australia, refer to it as Down's syndrome. In the U.S. that would denote Dr. Down as having had the syndrome.
How did Langdon discover Down syndrome?
Langdon Down began by
examining the palates and tongues of the residents
and in his 1862 report he said “in 16 cases the tongue presented a sodden appearance and exhibited transverse furrows on its dorsal surface; in all these patients one is able to trace a marked physiological and psychological agreement.
Did John Langdon Down have Down syndrome?
| John Langdon Down | Known for First to describe Down syndrome | Children 4 Everleigh, Lilian, Reginald and Percival |
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Who first described Down syndrome?
Down syndrome (DS), also known as trisomy 21, is caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21 (Figure 1a, b). It is named after
John Langdon Down
, the British physician who described the syndrome for the first time in 1866.
When did John Down discover Down syndrome?
Down's syndrome was first described by an English physician John Langdon Down in
1862
, who helped to differentiate the condition from mental disability.
Who is most likely to get Downs?
Women who are 35 years or older when they become pregnant
are more likely to have a pregnancy affected by Down syndrome than women who become pregnant at a younger age. However, the majority of babies with Down syndrome are born to mothers less than 35 years old, because there are many more births among younger women.
Can Down syndrome be cured?
No. Down syndrome is a lifelong condition and
right now there isn't a cure
. But many health problems associated with the condition are treatable.
Can a Down syndrome child look normal?
People with
Down syndrome all look the same
. There are certain physical characteristics that can occur. People with Down syndrome can have all of them or none. A person with Down syndrome will always look more like his or her close family than someone else with the condition.
Can Down syndrome be prevented?
There's no way to prevent Down syndrome
. If you're at high risk of having a child with Down syndrome or you already have one child with Down syndrome, you may want to consult a genetic counselor before becoming pregnant.
When is Down syndrome diagnosed?
The test is usually done at
15 to 22 weeks of pregnancy
. Integrated screening test. Your provider combines the results from the first trimester screening and the second trimester screening to better estimate the chances that your baby may have Down syndrome.
Is Down syndrome dominant or recessive?
An autosomal recessive disorder requires two copies of the abnormal gene for the disease or trait to develop. But
Down Syndrome itself is neither dominant nor recessive
.
How were people with Down syndrome treated in history?
Historically in the United States, the majority of people with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities were
kept in inhumane institutions where they were deprived of education, healthcare and even plumbing
.
Can father's age cause Down syndrome?
July 1, 2003 — Older fathers may contribute just as much as older mothers to the dramatic increase in Down syndrome risk faced by babies born to older couples. A new study found that older fathers were responsible for up to 50
%
of the rise in Down syndrome risk when the mother was also over 40.
What is the lowest risk of Down syndrome?
If the screening test shows that the chance of having a baby with Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome is lower
than 1 in 150
, this is a lower-chance result.
What are signs of Down syndrome during pregnancy?
- Flat face with an upward slant to the eyes.
- Short neck.
- Abnormally shaped or small ears.
- Protruding tongue.
- Small head.
- Deep crease in the palm of the hand with relatively short fingers.
- White spots in the iris of the eye.
- Poor muscle tone, loose ligaments, excessive flexibility.
