down syndrome

Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 inside each of the body's cells (hence the biological term, Trisomy 21). It is a chromosomal accident, not known to be caused by anything the parents may have done before or during pregnancy. Down syndrome is recognisable at birth because of some typical physical characteristics and diagnosis will be confirmed by chromosome analysis. It is one of the most common known causes of intellectual disability. While people with Down syndrome do have features in common, they also closely resemble their parents and family. Many characteristics are attributed to Down syndrome, but any one person will have only some of them - each person is an individual, with a unique appearance, personality and set of abilities. The extent to which each child shows the physical characteristics of the syndrome is no indication of his or her intellectual capacity. (Down Syndrome NSW definition)

Links:

• Down Syndrome NSW: www.dsansw.org.au

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down syndrome