World Day of People with Down Syndrome
On March 21, the world annually celebrates the World Day of People with Down Syndrome (World Down Syndrome Day).
It was first held in 2006.
The decision to hold the day was made on the initiative of the International (IDSA) and European (EDSA) Down Syndrome Associations at the VI International Symposium on Down Syndrome, which was held in Palma de Mallorca (Spain).
In December 2011, the UN General Assembly proposed that all states and international organizations celebrate this day from 2012 in order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.
The day and month for this event were not chosen by chance – they symbolically reflect the nature of the pathology. March is chosen because Down syndrome is a trisomy (March is the third month of the year) on chromosome 21 (therefore March 21).
Down syndrome was first described in 1866 by the British physician John Langdon Down. Almost a hundred years later, in 1959, the French scientist Jerome Lejeune proved the genetic origin of this syndrome.
Down syndrome is a disease resulting from a genetic anomaly in which an additional chromosome appears in the human body (instead of two chromosomes 21, there are three); as a result, the total number of chromosomes becomes 47, whereas normally it should be 46.
More rare forms of Down syndrome are mosaic (in which some cells have a pathological, and some have a normal set of chromosomes) and translocation (due to more complex chromosomal disorders).
Down syndrome is the most frequently detected genetic pathology. It is common in all regions of the world and does not depend on the quality of life and health of parents. The causes of Down syndrome are not fully understood. One of the identified factors that increases the risk of developing an anomaly is the age of the mother. The risk of developing Down syndrome during pregnancy increases in women older than 35 years, however, due to higher fertility rates in young women, 80% of children with Down syndrome are born in women younger than 35 years.
According to the UN, about three to five thousand children are born with Down syndrome every year. This chromosomal disorder occurs in one infant out of 1000-1100 newborns.
According to American scientists, Down syndrome is diagnosed in every 1,500 residents of the United States and the planet as a whole.
For people with Down syndrome, some external distinguishing features are characteristic: a flat face and nose bridge, a short neck, small ears, slanted eyes (small white spots may be present on the iris); short arms, legs and fingers, only one fold is located on the palms.
Such people usually have weak muscle tone, hyper–mobility of joints, low growth, and sometimes an open mouth (due to low muscle tone and a special structure of the palate).
Half of children born with Down syndrome have a congenital heart defect, about 75% have an increased risk of hearing loss. 50-75% of people with Down syndrome suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (respiratory arrest), up to 60% are predisposed to the development of cataracts and other eye diseases, more often than others are susceptible to thyroid diseases, anemia and leukemia, Hirschsprung's disease.
Often children with Down syndrome lag behind in the development of analytical thinking, in other areas they develop more slowly than their peers, but they can reach a normal level of development, albeit somewhat later.
In Europe and America, people with Down syndrome can get a higher education, get a job and start a family. Some of them become famous musicians, actors and athletes. In Russia, there are also cases when people with disabilities were not prevented by a diagnosis.
The life expectancy of people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent years and is about 60 years (in 1983 – 25 years).
At the same time, access to medical care, early intervention programs and inclusive education, as well as the conduct of appropriate medical research are vital for the growth and development of children with Down syndrome.
In Russia, the leader in providing early psychological, pedagogical and social assistance to children with Down syndrome and their families is the Downside Up Charitable Foundation, established in 1997.
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21.03.2017