Down syndrome affects many people in this world. Not only does it affect the person diagnosed as Downs, but it also affects their family and everyone around them. There are physical characteristics that help you identify somebody with Downs. There are also some health concerns that you need to worry about. In this essay I will give you a clearer understanding of what Downs syndrome is, and what it means to have Downs.Down syndrome can be caused for three different reasons. The most prevalent reason is called trisomy 21. This means that rather than having 46 chromosomes you have 47. This is the cause for approximately ninety- five percent of the people affected by Down syndrome. The extra chromosome is usually found on the twenty-first pair. The next cause only affects 1 percent of the Downs population. It is known as mosaicism. This is caused from an error during cell division right after conception has occurred. It has been seen that with mosaicism some of the cells have 47 chromosomes while other cells only have 46 chromosomes. The last reason can be traced back to the parent's. It is known as translocation. The twenty-first chromosome is translocated on to another chromosome. The parents could be carrying the chromosome that translocates. This form of Down syndrome affects only 3-4 percent of the people living with Downs.There are some health concerns that you should also be aware of when dealing with someone with Downs syndrome. It has been found that between sixty and eighty percent of people with Down syndrome has a hearing deficit. If you were dealing with a young Downs syndrome child it would be a good idea to have their hearing checked. It is also common to have a congenital heart disease. Unfortunately many children need surgery and will be under a doctor's care their whole life. Children with Down syndrome are more likely to have problems with their vision than other children. A lot of children with Down syndrome have catar...
