1. FEATURESDOWNSYNDROME
Whenthe child is born, the doctor suspectedDownsyndromeby the presence
ofsome of thefollowingfeatures:
•Hishead and faceare roundand small.
•The eyesare tiltedupward andoutward,oriental, witha foldin the inner corner
•Yournose is smalland flat, the nasalseptumis broad and slightlyrepressed.
•The earsare small andits surroundings (helix) appearbent.
•Hismuscle toneis decreased, at rest(hypotonia), this makes thelanguagetends
tocome off.
• The skinwill have differentcolors,so it issaid to haveamarbleappearance.
• People withDown syndrome havemental retardation, although the level
ofintelligencein eachpersonvaries.
• They havea surplusof skin onthe neck(excess skin).
•Theirlimbsare short, with hands and feet wide andshort, thick fingers. The
handsare small andplumpwith avery markedtransverse creaseon the palmof the
hand;the little fingeris shortand curved.
•Your heightis smallerand weighsmorethan that forhis age.
•Some babiesare born withheartaffectationsthat might requiresurgery.
•Oftenpresentsstrabismus, dentalmalposition, caries and infertilityin men.

2. What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic causes of mental retardation
or developmental. This means that it is caused by a problem with the
chromosomes where genes are located that make each person unique.
Generally, people with Down syndrome mental retardation mild to moderate. Some
have developmental delay and others have a serious delay. Every person with
Down syndrome is different.
Babies with Down syndrome tend to develop more slowly than other babies. They
start walking later. When they grow, they tend to be slower and withdrawn than the
other members of the family and can be rather robust constitution or wide.
In many cases, have eyelids slightly upwards. They may have little folds of skin at
the inner corner of the eyes. Their noses may be a little flat and ears may be small
and abnormally shaped. They can be spaced larger than normal between the first
and second toe.
Children born with Down syndrome are also more likely to have certain health
problems. Are more likely to get infections, and respiratory diseases (lung and
respiratory problems). When you have infections, usually take longer to heal. They
may also have heard or digestive problems such as constipation. Some babies
with Down syndrome also have stomach problems or intestinal obstruction that
prevents proper digestion of food.
About half are born with heart defects, which means that something was different
during heart development. Some develop leukemia, a cancer. But every person
with Down syndrome is different and may have one, several or all of these
problems.