Can a child have Down syndrome and look normal?

' Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra copy changes how the baby's body and brain develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby. Even though people with Down syndrome might act and look similar, each person has different abilities.

Can you look Down syndrome but be normal?

Some have two copies of chromosome 21, and some have three. Mosaic Down syndrome occurs in about 2 percent of all Down syndrome cases. People with mosaic Down syndrome often, but not always, have fewer symptoms of Down syndrome because some cells are normal.

Does Down syndrome always affect appearance?

It varies, but people with Down syndrome often share certain physical traits. For facial features, they may have: Eyes shaped like almonds (may be shaped in a way that's not typical for their ethnic group) Flatter faces, especially the nose.

Can you have Down syndrome and not look it?

Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome - the usual physical features are not obvious. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.

Can you have a mild case of Down syndrome?

Each person with Down syndrome is an individual — intellectual and developmental problems may be mild, moderate or severe. Some people are healthy while others have significant health problems such as serious heart defects.

Can a Down syndrome child look normal?

Do babies with Down syndrome have small heads?

Height and weight — Babies with Down syndrome are usually smaller than other babies, and they have smaller heads. They may also grow more slowly and may never reach the same heights that typical children do.

What are the facial features of Down syndrome?

Some common characteristics present in people with the disorder include distinctive facial features, such as slanting eyes, small chin, round face, flat nasal bridge, Brushfield spots in the iris, abnormal outer ears, and flattened nose.

How do I know if my child has Down syndrome?

An ultrasound and quadruple marker screen (QMS) test can help identify Down syndrome and other defects in the brain and spinal cord. This test is done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. If any of these tests aren't normal, you'll be considered at high risk for birth defects.

Do all Down syndrome babies have low muscle tone?

Almost all children with DS suffer from muscle hypotonia (MH), a state of reduced muscle tone, usually related to the skeletal muscles.

How do you know if your child has mosaic Down syndrome?

A baby would be said to have mosaic Down syndrome if: 5 of the 20 cells have the typical number of 46 chromosomes. The other 15 have a total of 47 chromosomes due to an extra chromosome 21.

Which physical characteristic is most indicative of an individual with Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is usually identified at birth by the presence of certain physical traits: low muscle tone, a single deep crease across the palm of the hand, a slightly flattened facial profile and an upward slant to the eyes.

Is Down syndrome obvious at birth?

Down syndrome is usually quite evident as soon as a baby with the disorder is born, as many of its distinctive physical characteristics are present at birth.

How does a person with Down syndrome act?

The most common mental health concerns include: general anxiety, repetitive and obsessive-compulsive behaviors; oppositional, impulsive, and inattentive behaviors; sleep related difficulties; depression; autism spectrum conditions; and neuropsychological problems characterized by progressive loss of cognitive skills.

How often does Down syndrome go undiagnosed?

No. About eight or nine out of 10 cases of Down syndrome are detected (classified as screen positive). This means that one or two out of 10 pregnancies with Down syndrome are missed (classified as screen negative).

Can you have Down syndrome and be smart?

scores for people with Down syndrome vary, with the average cognitive delays being mild to moderate, not severe. In fact, normal intelligence is possible.

Can a Down syndrome diagnosis be wrong?

Hindley and Medakkar¹ showed that the clinical diagnosis of Down's syndrome is inaccurate in one third of cases.

At what age do Down syndrome babies talk?

Typically, these children have a much harder time learning to talk (expressive language) than with understanding what they hear (receptive language). On average, children with Down syndrome start using words around 16 months of age—about 6 months later than other children.

Do babies with Down syndrome act differently?

' Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra copy changes how the baby's body and brain develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby. Even though people with Down syndrome might act and look similar, each person has different abilities.

What part of the body does Down syndrome generally affect?

Down syndrome, the most common chromosome-related genetic condition in the U.S., affects development of the brain and body.

Do Down syndrome babies cry differently?

Their smiles were also found to be shorter, and less discriminative between the two face-to-face conditions. The non-handicapped infants showed significantly more cry/distress vocalizations in the immobile than in the mobile condition, while the reverse was found for the Down's syndrome infants.

What are the physical characteristics of a child with Down syndrome?

Short neck, with excess skin at the back of the neck. Flattened facial profile and nose. Small head, ears, and mouth. Upward slanting eyes, often with a skin fold that comes out from the upper eyelid and covers the inner corner of the eye.

Why does Down syndrome affect facial structure?

The most common live-born human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome (DS). Dosage imbalance of genes on chromosome 21 (Hsa21) affects complex gene-regulatory interactions and alters development to produce a wide range of phenotypes, including characteristic facial dysmorphology.

Why do I look like I have Down syndrome?

Why do people with Down syndrome look the same? They have an extra chromosome or part of an extra chromosome. Researchers believe that this extra genetic material affects growth of the maxilla (part of the skull) and the bone, cartilage, and connective tissue in the head, known as the cranial neural crest.

What happens if Down syndrome is left untreated?

Many children with heart defects also develop pulmonary hypertension, a condition that can cause lasting lung damage if left untreated. Other health issues that commonly affect children with Down syndrome include: hearing loss. vision problems.

Do people with Down syndrome know they have it?

Most adults with Down syndrome are aware they have Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome live ordinary lives filled with extraordinary needs. You cannot have mild or severe Down syndrome. Either you have it or you do not.