I remember a relative and two friends who looked after their children with this genetic problem with infinite patience and enormous inner strength. You would have certainly seen a child affected by Down Syndrome. It is said to occur in about 1 in 1,000 babies born in a year.
It is easy to identify children with this disorder. It causes lifelong intellectual disability and other medical abnormalities that include gastro-intestinal disorders and heart problems. They have distinct physical features like a flattened face, small head, short neck, protruding tongue, small ears, hands and feet. Their growth is delayed and they are shorter than other children of their age. Most children with this problem have a mild to moderate cognitive impairment, which affects their linguistic ability and memory.
Earlier it was referred to as ‘Mongolism.’ Later it was named after the British doctor, John Langdon Down, who first described the syndrome in 1866.
Fr M A Joe Antony SJ
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