Question
What does it mean to have a Down syndrome baby? Can it be prevented?
Answer
Down syndrome babies primarily exhibit characteristics such as delayed cognitive development, slow physical growth, and distinct facial features. These include wide-set eyes, a low, flat bridge of the nose, small eyes, slanting outer corners of the eyes, skin creases at the inner corners, small ears, a narrow chin, a tongue that often sticks out of the mouth, and excessive drooling; they are also short in stature, with a smaller head circumference than normal. Their skeletal age often lags behind their actual age, teeth emerge late and often in the wrong position; hair is fine and sparse. Their limbs are short, and due to loose ligaments, their joints can be overly flexible. Fingers are thick and short, with the pinky finger often curved inward. If a baby is found to have Down syndrome, parents can decide according to their own wishes whether to terminate the pregnancy. This disease is most commonly caused by chromosomal abnormalities. As the mother’s age increases, there is an increased likelihood of chromosome nondisjunction during the formation of eggs, thereby increasing the risk of the baby having Down syndrome. The incidence rate is 1 in 1490 between the ages of 20 to 24, rising to 1 in 106 at 40 years old and 1 in 11 at 49 years old. However, about 80% of syndrome-affected infants are born to mothers under 35, which is related to the higher proportion of women under 35 who become pregnant. Additionally, some cases have extra chromosomes from the father, with a ratio of 1:4 between paternal and maternal causes. For those with high