Question
When I gave birth to my son, I didn’t undergo a Down syndrome screening. But as he grew older, I noticed his facial features were abnormal. After a hospital examination, they said he had Down syndrome. How should Down syndrome be treated?
Answer
There is currently no effective treatment. Children should be careful to prevent infections. If they have congenital heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, or other malformations, surgical treatment should be considered. Comprehensive measures should be taken, including medical and social services, long-term patient education and training, preparatory education for intellectually disabled children to transition to mainstream schools, methods of training intellectually disabled children in certain job skills, and parents and schools should help children overcome behavioral issues. Society should provide moral support to the parents of disabled children. Infants and young children often suffer from respiratory infections. Patients with congenital heart disease usually die early. Muscle tone gradually improves with age, and their growth and development progress gradually.